ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by the Electoral Commission in each year since it was established; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each year.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not hold a record of this information, that it does not own any vehicles, and that it encourages staff to use public transport when travelling on official business.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

10 Downing Street: Archives

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what the Civil Service grade is of the person responsible for decisions on what to archive from the No 10 Press Office;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on  (a) destroying,  (b) retaining and  (c) archiving files in the Press Office at No 10 Downing Street.

Tom Watson: It is Cabinet Office policy, in line with other Departments across Whitehall, to select files for permanent preservation in accordance with records management guidance issued by the National Archives (TNA). Further details of this guidance can be found on the TNA's website at:
	www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records_management

Crimes of Violence: Females

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what considerations the Families at Risk Review gave to measures to combat violence against women;
	(2)  what meetings he has held since 27 June 2007 with representatives of  (a) rape crisis centres,  (b) women's refuges,  (c) sexual assault referral centres,  (d) prostitution, trafficking and sexual exploitation support services and  (e) other third sector organisations dealing with violence against women;
	(3)  what research the Social Exclusion Task Force has conducted on the issue of violence against women; and what steps the Social Exclusion Task Force has taken to develop measures to prevent violence against women.

Phil Hope: The Families At Risk Review identified domestic violence as a parent-based risk factor that could impact on children in its interim analytical report published in June 2007. A literature review considered several family risk factors in detail, including domestic violence, and a focus group was held with mothers who had experienced domestic violence.
	This work will continue to be taken forward across Government to ensure that 'think family' becomes embedded across Whitehall and at a local level.
	Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Departmental ICT: Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)

Susan Kramer: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) male and  (b) female members of staff working in the Cabinet Office were issued with personal digital assistants in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: holding answer 24 January 2008
	 The information requested is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people in his Office earned over £100,000 in each year since 1997.

Tom Watson: The number of staff earning over £100,000 in the Cabinet Office in each year since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			  Year (financial)  Number of staff earning over £100,000 in each year 
			 1997-98 * 
			 1998-99 * 
			 1999-2000 10 
			 2000-01 10 
			 2001-02 20 
			 2002-03 20 
			 2003-04 30 
			 2004-05 40 
			 2005-06 30 
			 2006-07 30 
			  Notes: 1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10 2. Numbers less than 5 have been represented by *

Departmental Public Relations

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many external contracts his Department held with public relations companies in each of the last 10 years; and what the total cost of those contracts was.

Tom Watson: The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and may not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.

Departmental Records: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 826W, on departmental records: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, what the timetable is for the transfer of the files of the former Deputy Prime Minister's Office to the National Archives.

Tom Watson: The files of the former Deputy Prime Minister's Office will be transferred to the National Archives by 2037 in accordance with section 3(4) of the Public Records Act 1958 which calls for records to be transferred by the time they are 30-years-old.

Emergency Services: Call Centres

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many emergency services call centre staff are on Civil Service pay grade AA, broken down by emergency service, including coastguard;
	(2)  how many members of staff work at emergency services call centres, broken down by emergency service, including coastguard.

Tom Watson: This information is not held centrally.

Higher Civil Servants: Females

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many of the Senior Civil Service staff employed at No 10 Downing Street are female; and what percentage they represent of all staff.

Tom Watson: For these purposes No. 10 Downing Street forms an integral part of the Cabinet Office. The following answer relates to the whole of the Cabinet Office.
	Information for 2006 can be found on the Office for National Statistics website at the following address:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService2006TablesandCharts.xls
	Information for 2007 will be published in due course.

Ministerial Allowances

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost to the public purse of Ministerial allowances was  (a) in total and  (b) in each Government department in each of the last 10 years.

Tom Watson: holding answer 29 January 2008
	Information relating to allowances paid to Ministers in their capacity as Members of Parliament or peers is a matter for the House authorities.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what meetings the Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Office, the hon. Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron), has had with trades unions since June 2007 in the course of her official duties; and for what purpose such meetings were held.

Tom Watson: Ministers and civil servants meet the Council of Civil Service Unions (CCSU) and the individual trade unions regularly. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to reduce his Department's carbon dioxide emissions in 2008-09.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) started implementing a Carbon Management Programme, developed with the Carbon Trust, in 2007. This will help to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions on the FCO's UK estate in 2008-09. The programme includes technological, procurement, transport, housekeeping and awareness raising responses to the issue.

EU Reform: Treaties

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost of a referendum on the Lisbon treaty; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply
	Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 the Electoral Commission is responsible for the conduct of referendums, including estimation of the costs. The Department has made no detailed estimate of the costs of a national referendum.
	As a guide, we might expect the cost of running a UK-wide referendum to be similar to the cost of a general election. The general election in 2005 cost in excess of £80 million.
	In addition to the costs of conducting a referendum, the Electoral Commission would incur its own additional costs. These costs would be reflected in the Electoral Commission's estimate of its income and expenditure, which it is required to submit to Speaker's Committee annually. If approved, the money comes directly from HM Treasury to the Commission.
	I understand that the Commission currently estimates that these costs would depend on the level of public information activity required, but would likely be in the range of £10 million to £30 million.

Gaza: Electricity

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on civilians of the closure of Gaza's electricity generating capacity on 20 January 2008 due to shortage of fuel.

Kim Howells: The Government continue to believe that Israeli security and Palestinian suffering and hardship need to be addressed together. We deplore the rocket attacks that Israel suffers. We have also continued to make clear that we do not agree with Israel's action to close the Gaza crossings.
	The Gaza strip requires an estimated 230 megawatts of power daily, at this time of year, of which up to 55 megawatts is normally provided by the Gaza Power Generating Company (GPGC). On 20 January the GPGC stopped producing power when its reserves became too low to continue. During this time, the majority of the Gaza Strip had no electricity for at least eight hours according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Many areas suffered power cuts of up to 12 hours because of breakdowns in Gaza's ageing electricity network.
	This had an alarming impact on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Power cuts mean that Gaza's water authority has to rely on diesel powered generators OCHA reported that by 21 January there was only enough fuel to pump water from 40 of its 130 wells and to pump sewage at 21 of its 33 pumping stations. At least 40 per cent. of Gazans had no running water during this time. 30 per cent. of the population still had no water by 23 January. Hospitals ran reduced services between 19 to 21 January to preserve their fuel stocks.
	Limited fuel supplies were resumed as of 22 January enabling power cuts to be reduced. We welcome the announcement by the Israeli Government on 27 January that it would resume the supply of food and fuel to Gaza to pre-17 January levels.

Gaza: Fuels

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government on easing the severe shortages of fuel in Gaza.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made a joint statement with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development on 11 January in which they expressed their deep concern about
	"the growing humanitarian impact of the restrictions by the Government of Israel on industrial diesel supplies to Gaza, particularly on the most vulnerable sections of the population."
	They urged Israel to lift all restrictions.
	On 17 January, I raised these concerns with the Israeli ambassador. Our embassy in Tel Aviv also continues to raise our concerns on a regular basis.
	On 21 January, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development again voiced their concerns. In a joint statement, they stated:
	"We do not support Israel's decision to close all crossings to Gaza."
	On 24 January, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary called Foreign Minister Livni and reiterated these concerns.
	We welcome the announcement by the Israeli Government on 27 January that it would resume the supply of food and fuel to Gaza to pre-17 January levels.

Kenya: Politics and Government

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government recognise the Government of Mr Kibaki as the Government of Kenya; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) on 29 January 2008,  Official  R eport, column 223W.

Sudan: International Assistance

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the mechanisms in place to co-ordinate the efforts of UNAMID, civilian police, the military, human rights workers and other humanitarian organisations active in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We have not yet assessed the effectiveness of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur's (UNAMID) co-ordination with humanitarian organisations in Darfur, as many of the relevant structures and personnel are still being put in place. At full strength, UNAMID will consist of approximately 19,500 military personnel, 6,500 civilian police and 5,000 other civilian staff, including a section dedicated to human rights. These components are co-ordinated by the UNAMID mission leadership, headed by UN-African Union Joint Special Representative Adada. UNAMID has appointed a number of humanitarian affairs officers to liaise and co-ordinate with the UN agencies and non-governmental humanitarian organisations in Darfur. We welcome the co-ordination mechanisms and we are monitoring their effectiveness as UNAMID deploys.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK has made to its international partners on communicating and raising public awareness of the mandate for the UNAMID police component in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We have not made representations about the mandate for the police component of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). Along with our international partners, we have been drawing attention to the need for all parties to facilitate UN AMID's deployment as an effective force, including the police component.
	At full strength, the civilian police component of UNAMID will be just under 6,500 officers. At present, there are about 1,400 civilian police in UNAMID who transferred from the police component of the African Union Mission in Sudan.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the co-ordination of civilian protection in Darfur since UNMIS withdrew from the region; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We have not yet assessed the effectiveness of the co-ordination of civilian protection in Darfur, as many of the relevant structures and personnel continue to be put in place following the assumption of peacekeeping authority by the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on 31 December 2007. UNAMID is working with other UN agencies and non-governmental humanitarian organisations to co-ordinate civilian protection in Darfur. Those organisations working with the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) in Darfur before 31 December 2007 are transferring contact to UNAMID. Some former UNMIS officials have moved to UNAMID, which will include a civilian element of approximately 5,000 staff when fully established. We are closely monitoring the transition period to ensure effective co-ordination of civilian protection in the region.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made towards the designation of an agency to replace UNMIS as leading the co-ordination of civilian protection in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The UN-African Union hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur, which assumed authority in Darfur on 31 December 2007, is mandated by UN Security Council resolution 1769 to protect civilians and ensure the security and freedom of movement of humanitarian workers. The UN-African Union Mission in Darfur is working with other UN agencies and non-governmental humanitarian organisations to co-ordinate civilian protection in Darfur. Operations led by the UN Mission in Sudan in Darfur, prior to 31 December, are transferring to UN-African Union Mission in Darfur, which will include a civilian element of approximately 5,000 staff when fully established. We are closely monitoring the transition period to ensure effective co-ordination of civilian protection in the region.

Visas: Entry Clearances

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visas for entry into the United Kingdom were issued by each issuing post in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: The number of visas issued by each visa-issuing post in the years 2003-07 inclusive is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of visa applications issued for all the posts in last five years 
			  Post  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Abidjan (BE)(1) 2,027 2,401 0 0 0 
			 Abu Dhabi (BE) 20,583 21,280 17,463 20,338 17,997 
			 Abuja (BHC) 22,479 32,051 37,424 28,973 29,841 
			 Accra (BHC) 36,230 32,480 24,392 22,489 20,330 
			 Addis Ababa (BE) 5,147 6,445 6,824 3,760 4,642 
			 Algiers (BE) 11,148 8,911 7,176 8,386 9,058 
			 Almaty (BE) 6,809 8,354 10,067 15,633 15,674 
			 Almaty (BE)(2) 6,809 8,354 10,067 15,633 10,169 
			 Amman (BE) 11,271 14,135 12,686 14,572 11,561 
			 Amsterdam (BCG) 11,746 10,199 7,313 6,452 7,038 
			 Ankara (BE) 5,003 14,632 20,717 15,776 18,261 
			 Antananarivo (BE)(3) 289 293 280 0 0 
			 Ashgabat (BE) 1,626 2,297 1,800 1,226 1,046 
			 Asmara (BE) 0 333 307 177 46 
			 Athens (BE) 829 1,168 1,718 1,371 1,328 
			 Baghdad (BE) 0 744 740 872 958 
			 Bahrain (BE) 10,913 9,556 9,514 10,826 10,276 
			 Baku (BE) 3,078 3,945 4,421 4,772 5,029 
			 Bandar Seri Begawan (BE) 1,494 1,472 2,221 3,349 2,070 
			 Bangkok (BE) 32,358 40,192 38,054 37,884 40,148 
			 Banjul (BHC) 4,701 4,749 4,962 4,335 4,094 
			 Basra (BCG)(4) 0 0 37 128 0 
			 Beijing (BE) 51,165 56,982 53,606 70,120 71,248 
			 Beirut (BE) 7,157 8,668 8,709 7,193 8,546 
			 Belgrade (BE) 15,183 14,719 14,802 15,657 15,282 
			 Belmopan (BHC) 60 40 0 0 0 
			 Berlin (BE) 439 348 343 352 354 
			 Bogota (BE) 13,548 13,700 13,692 14,864 16,871 
			 Brasilia 134 119 113 223 200 
			 Bratislava (BE) 20,884 266 239 278 96 
			 Bridgetown (BHC) 1,410 1,929 2,038 2,764 2,122 
			 Brussels (BE) 4,748 5,974 6,409 6,002 5,813 
			 Bucharest (BE) 27,744 27,663 32,210 34,550 1,252 
			 Budapest (BE) 1,963 1,774 2,009 1,953 1,304 
			 Buenos Aires (BE) 623 752 965 1,055 1,070 
			 Cairo (BE) 20,753 20,879 21,769 25,033 24,815 
			 Canberra (BHC) 32,797 39,300 39,164 38,267 33,143 
			 Caracas (BE) 455 488 789 1,091 1,402 
			 Casablanca (BCG)(5) 5,883 2,921 5,796 5,381 0 
			 Chennai (BDHC) 50,483 64,930 75,870 93,899 97,172 
			 Chicago (BCG) 13,096 17,954 16,065 15,333 14,905 
			 Chisinau 0 1,144 2,739 2,794 2,209 
			 Chongqing (BCG) 3,446 4,433 5,515 6,541 7,528 
			 Colombo (BHC) 19,653 20,756 19,184 23,474 20,780 
			 Copenhagen (BE) 3,063 3,301 3,245 3,533 3,307 
			 Dakar (BE) 1,399 1,399 1,657 2,371 2,805 
			 Damascus (BE) 5,664 5,611 5,951 7,526 2,546 
			 Dar Es Salaam (BHC) 6,919 7,392 6,767 7,103 6,536 
			 Dhaka (BHC) 23,004 21,024 27,776 29,403 25,139 
			 Doha (BE) 11,560 12,116 13,368 18,218 18,265 
			 Dubai (BE) 31,858 35,540 36,711 44,539 38,570 
			 Dublin (BE) 12,325 11,727 12,852 13,837 11,803 
			 Dushanbe (BE) 0 0 4 23 14 
			 Dusseldorf (BE) 31,974 32,610 29,328 27,345 20,462 
			 Freetown (BHC) 6,076 5,191 5,160 5,443 3,928 
			 Gaborone (BHC) 1,216 1,906 1,669 1,866 1,896 
			 Geneva (BC) 10,016 10,346 10,653 10,718 9,531 
			 Georgetown (BHC) 2,227 1,423 3,267 3,556 2,943 
			 Guangzhou (BC) 25,455 32,713 26,372 31,075 33,978 
			 Hanoi (BE) 3,721 4,813 4,933 5,487 6,464 
			 Harare (BHC) 16,744 19,207 15,683 11,842 7,870 
			 Havana (BE) 2,187 1,909 1,997 2,468 2,222 
			 Helsinki (BE) 840 990 1,077 1,239 1,261 
			 Hong Kong (BC) 7,004 11,508 11,821 12,700 12,750 
			 Islamabad (BHC) 77,026 96,027 88,040 108,062 91,912 
			 Istanbul (BCG) 52,527 29,810 38,309 52,209 53,694 
			 Jakarta (BE) 12,725 13,442 13,285 14,382 16,392 
			 Jedda (BCG) 17,144 20,349 19,436 20,946 20,825 
			 Jerusalem (BCG) 1,844 1,720 1,725 1,631 1,517 
			 Kampala (BHC) 10,972 7,698 6,433 7,008 7,407 
			 Karachi (BDHC) 2,167 9,470 20,395 25,936 15,110 
			 Kathmandu (BE) 3,821 3,842 9,183 13,890 11,162 
			 Khartoum (BE) 4,794 5,057 5,614 7,147 6,806 
			 Kiev (BE) 20,780 27,040 27,930 31,759 33,061 
			 Kingston (BHC) 15,717 12,773 10,370 10,263 10,974 
			 Kinshasa (BE) 2,073 3,062 3,322 2,827 3,282 
			 Kolkata (BDHC) 11,337 12,857 14,588 18,319 17,156 
			 Kuala Lumpur (BE) 5,016 10,158 8,724 9,078 10,786 
			 Kuwait City (BE) 44,147 41,545 47,111 46,869 41,971 
			 La Paz (BE) 166 244 213 334 296 
			 Lagos (BDHC) 62,595 86,739 84,526 74,577 74,059 
			 Lilongwe (BHC) 562 1,065 1,693 2,518 3,238 
			 Lima (BE) 3,761 3,791 3,624 4,267 4,436 
			 Lisbon (BE) 2,102 2,639 2,495 3,300 2,092 
			 Los Angeles (BCG) 22,169 29,440 27,790 28,468 25,726 
			 Luanda (BE) 2,419 3,000 3,131 3,173 3,660 
			 Lusaka (BHC) 4,454 5,116 5,127 5,377 5,377 
			 Luxembourg (BE) 507 516 0 0 0 
			 Madrid (BC) 6,377 8,547 8,380 7,742 6,923 
			 Manila (BE) 25,173 26,457 29,387 34,178 33,737 
			 Maputo (BHC) 778 850 818 147 0 
			 Maseru (BHC)(6) 121 6 0 0 0 
			 Mbabane (BHC)(7) 397 370 0 0 0 
			 Mexico City (BE) 1,134 2,582 3,213 3,441 3,353 
			 Minsk (BE) 9,185 10,508 10,456 10,144 10,153 
			 Montevideo (BE) 58 64 56 67 61 
			 Moscow (BE) 78,178 92,669 104,747 119,513 120,222 
			 Mumbai (BHC) 85,072 102,861 117,708 136,613 127,708 
			 Muscat (BE) 10,686 9,813 9,664 9,758 9,491 
			 Nairobi (BHC) 15,455 16,179 12,822 13,846 13,455 
			 Nassau (BHC)(8) 219 91 0 0 0 
			 New Delhi (BHC) 76,677 84,694 99,386 114,986 109,756 
			 New York (BCG) 49,198 59,278 54,681 54,079 47,801 
			 Nicosia (BHC) 6,073 5,117 4,346 7,277 4,816 
			 Oslo (BE) 4,226 4,054 4,027 4,159 3,269 
			 Ottawa (BHC) 19,381 22,058 21,344 20,304 18,435 
			 Panama City (BE) 242 263 387 181 150 
			 Paris (BE) 26,237 27,526 25,965 28,725 21,857 
			 Port Louis (BHC) 2,584 3,184 3,659 3,348 3,029 
			 Port Moresby (BHC) 130 124 157 107 80 
			 Port of Spain (BHC) 1,935 3,096 3,228 2,856 2,274 
			 Port Vila(9) 8 2 5 0 0 
			 Prague (BE) 3,215 1,536 1,281 2,167 2,911 
			 Pretoria (BCG) 27,490 34,518 33,761 24,300 21,534 
			 Quito (BE) 2,521 2,441 2,393 2,941 2,618 
			 Rabat (BE) 0 0 0 0 8,011 
			 Rangoon (BE) 1,150 1,225 1,781 1,725 1,939 
			 Reykjavik (BE) 319 411 394 684 289 
			 Riga (BE) 1,567 1,843 1,928 2,179 2,215 
			 Rio de Janeiro 1,445 2,793 7,232 6,246 6,877 
			 Riyadh (BE) 22,020 26,827 30,747 36,207 40,069 
			 Rome (BE) 12,975 13,036 13,910 12,213 8,991 
			 San Salvador (BE)(10) 25 0 0 0 0 
			 Sanaa (BE) 2,657 2,866 2,653 2,905 2,495 
			 Santiago (BE) 1,027 987 1,271 1,155 1,051 
			 Santo DOMINGO (BE) 1,074 1,058 1,420 1,280 1,563 
			 Sarajevo (BE) 3,070 2,963 2,964 3,012 3,098 
			 Seoul (BE) 2,858 9,299 10,937 9,934 9,415 
			 Shanghai (BC) 21,912 27,800 27,388 39,280 40,349 
			 Singapore (BHC) 5,005 7,216 7,046 7,075 7,349 
			 Skopje (BE) 4,820 4,336 4,548 5,252 6,045 
			 Sofia (BE) 21,372 20,987 23,517 25,275 453 
			 St. Petersburg (BCG) 13,472 15,927 19,728 20,113 22,073 
			 Stockholm (BE) 4,616 4,573 4,615 4,198 3,416 
			 Suva (BHC) 1,235 1,144 964 757 989 
			 Taipei (BTO) 31,717 37,605 35,614 38,300 34,532 
			 Tallinn (BE) 682 685 891 1,095 955 
			 Tashkent (BE) 2,590 2,155 2,241 1,392 2,644 
			 Tbilisi (BE) 2,935 3,042 3,293 3,852 4,291 
			 Tegucigalpa (BE)(11) 562 0 0 0 0 
			 Tehran (BE) 23,668 27,951 28,526 35,777 31,754 
			 Tel Aviv (BE) 1,481 2,470 3,976 2,548 1,906 
			 Tirana (BE) 4,419 6,814 10,063 8,334 6,952 
			 Tokyo (BE) 6,232 17,737 17,246 16,956 14,855 
			 Tripoli (BE) 10,838 13,270 14,655 16,342 11,548 
			 Tunis (BE) 4,151 6,044 6,009 6,037 6,043 
			 UKvisas, London(12) 0 79 875 841 1,049 
			 Ulaanbaatar (BE) 1,019 837 797 1,139 2,118 
			 Valletta (BHC) 1,116 697 503 469 381 
			 Victoria (BHC) 185 270 278 253 202 
			 Vienna (BE) 2,914 2,599 2,656 2,595 2,119 
			 Vilnius (BE) 1,802 685 330 335 326 
			 Warsaw (BE) 3,713 2,275 1,172 1,345 1,419 
			 Wellington (BHC) 9,148 10,232 10,376 10,819 10,121 
			 Windhoek (BHC) 1,101 1,782 537 254 0 
			 Yaounde 2,990 2,802 2,908 2,659 3,169 
			 Yekaterinburg (BCG) 4,424 6,399 7,777 8,778 8,602 
			 Yerevan (BE) 1,072 1,221 1,441 1,592 1,719 
			 Zagreb (BE) 14,811 14,508 14,660 2,901 974 
			 Grand total 1,779,814 2,007,207 2,086,078 2,261,905 2,086,906 
			 (1) Closed May 2006 . (2)( )Closed August 2007. (3) Closed August 2005. (4) Moved to air station March 2007. (5) Closed October 2007. (6) Closed August 2005. (7) Closed September 2005. (8) Closed April 2005. (9) Closed October 2005. (10) Closed August 2003. (11) Closed January 2004. (12) Diplomatic visas. BE = British Embassy BHC = British High Commission BDHC = British Deputy High Commission BCG = British Consulate-General BTO = British Trade Office RO = regional Office  Note: The data is unpublished and should be used for information purposes only. Also this data includes all the endorsement category.  Date Range: 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2007.  Source: PMAF Search Screen

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of his Department's expenditure was on advertising in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: Expenditure for advertising in the Northern Ireland Office is held for the current financial year to date plus the previous five financial years. The following table provides details of the NIO's advertising expenditure (excluding agencies and NDPBs) and shows this as a percentage of the Department's total expenditure (excluding agencies and NDPBs) in each year since 2002-03.
	
		
			   Advertising expenditure (£)  Percentage of advertising expenditure against departmental expenditure 
			 2002-03 570,781 0.062 
			 2003-04 353,114 0.040 
			 2004-05 548,451 0.059 
			 2005-06 159,146 0.015 
			 2006-07 190,204 0.018 
			 Total 1,821,696 0.037

Departmental Public Relations

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many external contracts his Department held with public relations companies in each of the last 10 years; and what the total cost of those contracts was.

Shaun Woodward: The following table provides details of the Northern Ireland Office's expenditure on external contracts with public relations companies (excluding agencies and NDPBs) in each of the last 10 years and the number of contracts held in that time. The information provided is not centrally located. To provide information prior to 2002-03 would be possible only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number of public relations contracts  Value of contracts (£) 
			 1998-99 n/a n/a 
			 1999-2000 n/a n/a 
			 2000-01 n/a n/a 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 2 39,672 
			 2003-04 4 160,397 
			 2004-05 3 153,723 
			 2005-06 2 91,858 
			 2006-07 4 146,906 
			 2007-08 3 121,504 
			 Total 18 714,060 
			 n/a = Not available

HOME DEPARTMENT

Crime

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to reduce the number of crimes which involve bogus callers.

Vernon Coaker: Crimes involving bogus callers can have a devastating effect on an individual's or even a whole community's quality of life. This is particularly the case with older and more vulnerable victims. That is why we continue in our work to confront and tackle crime and have been involved in a number of campaigns and initiatives relating to distraction burglary.
	The Government, working with third sector organisations, has produced a wide range of tools for practitioners (such as good practice guides) and information for potential victims, carers and those in regular contact with the vulnerable. This has focused on encouraging the reporting of bogus callers and promoting positive doorstep behaviour.
	To enhance the police response to distraction burglary, we have worked with the Association of Chief Police Officers to establish a national distraction burglary database and intelligence network to facilitate the sharing of intelligence and support joint operations between forces and with other enforcement bodies including Trading Standards. We are currently working with the water industry to explore what can be done to tackle crimes involving bogus water officials.

Detection Rates

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of each category of crime was cleared up by police in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is given in the following table.
	Percentage rates for both total detections and sanction detections have been provided for the 10 main offence groups.
	The emphasis on sanction detections means that overall (total) detection figures are a less meaningful comparative measure of police performance. The numbers of non sanction detections more than halved in 2006-07. This is a continuation of the trend seen in recent years in the use of these methods of clear up following local policy decisions taken by many forces in order to reduce bureaucracy.
	
		
			  Total detection rates and sanction detection rates by main offence group, England and Wales 2002-03 to 2006-07( 1,2) 
			  Percentage 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Offence group  Total detection rate  Sanction detection rate  Total detection rate  Sanction detection rate  Total detection rate  Sanction detection rate  Total detection rate  Sanction detection rate  Total detection rate  Sanction detection rate 
			 Violence against the person 54 36 50 33 53 36 54 42 51 46 
			 Sexual offences(3) 39 32 36 30 34 28 35 31 32 30 
			 Robbery 19 17 19 17 20 17 18 17 19 18 
			 Burglary 12 11 13 12 13 12 14 13 14 14 
			 Offences against vehicles 9 8 9 8 10 9 1.0 10 11 10 
			 Other theft offences 21 19 20 18 20 18 22 20 23 22 
			 Fraud and Forgery 26 23 26 23 26 24 29 27 28 27 
			 Criminal damage 13 10 13 9 14 10 15 12 15 13 
			 Drug offences 93 85 93 81 95 73 95 92 95 94 
			 Other miscellaneous offences 76 70 73 68 70 65 71 68 70 68 
			 Total recorded crime 23 19 23 19 26 20 27 24 27 26 
			 (1) Total detection rates comprise sanction detections and non-sanction detections as a percentage of offences detected. (2) Sanction detections include offences which are cleared up through a formal sanction, i.e. by an offender being charged or summonsed; being cautioned, reprimanded or given final warning; having an offence taken into consideration; receiving a penalty notice for disorder; or receiving a warning for cannabis possession. Non-sanction detections comprise those where the offence is counted as cleared up but no further action is taken. The overall detection rate has been affected by forces limiting the usage of non-sanction-detections. (3) The classification and coverage of offences included in the sexual offences group changed from 1 May 2004 following the introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. This added a number of new offences and the definitions of other offences were broadened and therefore will have effected the detection rates.

Immigration

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government plan to take to make immigration law easier to understand.

Liam Byrne: Following the review of the immigration system in July 2006, we made a commitment to strengthen and simplify immigration legislation—replacing existing laws in this area and establishing a clear, consistent and coherent legal framework which supports the control of our borders and the management of migration.
	An initial consultation paper "Simplifying Immigration Law - An Initial Consultation" published on 6 June 2007, set out principles for simplification and invited views. An analysis of responses was published on 6 December 2007.
	We will be consulting on more specific proposals for simplification shortly. We will then publish draft clauses for pre-legislative scrutiny.
	Subject to the parliamentary timetable, this will allow us to introduce comprehensive new legislation in the next session.

Internet

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to educate people about the identity risks they face when providing personal information to social networking sites.

Vernon Coaker: The Government have taken a number of steps to educate the public on the risks of identity theft. The Identity Fraud Steering Committee was set up to put in place measures to tackle identity fraud and has produced the website: www.identitytheft.org.uk to provide advice to the public on how to protect against the threat of identity fraud.
	Further to this the joint Government and industry initiative GetSafeOnline gives the public detailed advice on identity risks on social networking sites.
	The Government are about to publish a Social Networking Guidance which has been produced in partnership with industry. In developing this Guidance, the providers of such services have shown great commitment to helping ensure the safety of their users, and to educating them on possible consequences of making public personal information.

Offensive Weapons

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many incidents involving bladed weapons were reported in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many incidents were reported of attacks on police officers involving bladed weapons in the last year for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: From the information collected on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify those offences where knives or other offensive weapons were used, since details of the individual circumstances of offences are not recorded. From April 2007, police forces are providing data on knife-enabled grievous bodily harm and robbery offences.

Parliamentary Questions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to answer Question 162360, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 6 November, on benefit claimants.

James Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply.
	I replied to the hon. Member's question on 6 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1512W.

Police: Crimes of Violence

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were  (a) injured and  (b) killed in (i) knife-related, (ii) firearms-related and (iii) other incidents in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 14 January 2008
	The numbers of fatal, serious and other assaults on police officers have been published each year by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) in their annual report. HMIC have advised that these assaults data will no longer be published in their annual report and that the data for 2004-05 would be the last series of data to be published.
	These data are not available by the method of assault. The available data are given in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Assaults( 1)  on police officers 2000-01 to 2004-05( 2,3) 
			  England and Wales  Fatal injury  Serious and other injury 
			 2000-01(4,8) 1 12,255 
			 2001-02(8) 1 13,096 
			 2002-03(4,8) 4 14,360 
			 2003-04(5,7) 0 11,654 
			 2004-05(6) 0 13,087 
			 (1) Data collated on behalf of and published by HMIC. Serious assaults are those for which the charge would be under Sections 18 and 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Other assaults include those with minor or no injury. Recording practices may vary over time and between forces. (2) Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. (3) HMIC did not publish a force breakdown of assaults prior to 1999-2000. HMIC have advised that assaults data will no longer be published in their annual report and that the data for 2004-05 is the last series of these data to be published. (4) Northamptonshire was not able to separate serious and other assaults from 2000-01 to 2002-03. (5) Lancashire and West Midlands were not able to provide breakdowns of numbers for different assaults in 2003-04, however the number of overall assaults was 462 and 1,112 respectively. (6.) Lancashire and West Midlands were not able to provide breakdowns of numbers for different assaults in 2004-05, however the number of overall assaults was 521 and 910 respectively. (7) Greater Manchester was not able to provide data in 2003-04. (8) Metropolitan police was unable to provide data in 2000-01 and was unable to provide breakdowns of numbers for different assaults from 2001-02 to 2003-04.

Sweden

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what official meetings the hon. Member for Gedling (Mr. Coaker) held during his recent visit to Sweden.

Vernon Coaker: During my visit to Sweden on 10 January and 11 January 2008, I had meetings with representatives of the following organisations:
	the Ministry of Justice;
	the Ministry for Integration and Equality;
	the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs;
	the National Board of Health and Welfare;
	the Stockholm Prostitution Unit; and
	Sex Workers Allies in Sweden (SANS).
	I also met the National Rapporteur on Trafficking, the Chief Constable of Stockholm and representatives from the Gender Equality Ombudsman, the Women's Forum and the Ethical Council for Pay Telephone Services.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the budget for adult education provision, excluding basic literacy and numeracy, has been in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: Investment in adult participation funding through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will increase to around £3.6 billion in 2010-11, an increase of over 17 per cent. compared with 2007-08. This will support on average over 3 million adult learners (aged 19 plus) per year over the next three years.
	The Skills for Life (SfL) strategy was launched in 2001 to meet the basic numeracy and literacy skills needs of all post-16 learners. Between 2002-03 and 2005-06 total SfL funding through further education increased from £421 million to £736 million. This investment has helped support 1.75 million post-16 learners to achieve their first basic literacy/numeracy qualifications since 2001.
	SfL figures for adults (aged 19 plus) are available from 2006-07 and are provided in the following table alongside total adult participation investment.
	
		
			  Total LSC adult participation funding and adult Skills for Life investment 
			  £ million 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Adult participation (1)2,548 (2)3,064 3,215 3,306 3,599 
			 Investment in adult (19 plus) Skills for Life (for planning purposes) 579 587 620 647 668 
			 (1 )Figures are derived from LSC published accounts. (2 )Figures include total DIUS participation funding from LSC Grant Letter 2008-09 and unlike the figures derived from the LSC account include investment through Offender Learning and Skills Service and university for Industry.

Departments: Committees

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with reference to the answer of 12 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1619-20W, on Departments: committees, if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) agenda and  (b) most recent minutes of each organisation.

David Lammy: The agendas, and where available the minutes, of EU committees are issued by the relevant EU institution and are available from the organisation concerned or from the relevant website. The agendas for council working group meetings are available from the EU Council Secretariat, however, the meetings are held in confidence and no public minutes are issued.

Education: Prisoners

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what courses are offered to offenders serving custodial sentences.

David Lammy: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Offender learning is currently delivered through the Learning and Skills Council-led Offenders Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) delivery arrangements introduced in July 2006. This includes an 'Offender's Learning Journey' which sets out a broader richer curriculum offer, comparable to that found in the outside community. Provision is demand led with individual learner needs identified through an early intense assessment process and development of an individual learning plan (ILP) which sets out how individual learner needs will be met.
	In addition to this, higher education courses are available to those who are both suitable and eligible to participate.

Graduates: Debts

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he plans to take to minimise debt among young graduates from poor backgrounds.

Bill Rammell: The current package of student support is the most comprehensive ever provided. From 2008/09 onwards, we will help more students with non-repayable finance. Two-thirds of full-time students will receive a full or partial grant, and non-means-tested loans will be available to all.
	Student loans are repayable only after leaving higher education and repayments only commence when income exceeds the earnings threshold(1). All borrowers, regardless of their age or background, benefit from a zero real rate of interest and the option to defer repayments if they are in financial difficulties. Those who are due to start repaying their loans from 2012 will be able to take a repayment holiday for up to five years. For those who never earn enough to afford to repay, outstanding loan balances will eventually be written off.
	Not all young graduate debt is student loan debt. Some young graduates borrow elsewhere at commercial interest rates. Current provisions should minimise the need for those who hold student loans to top up these loans by borrowing elsewhere.
	(1 )For pre-1998 loans, the threshold is 85 per cent. of national average earnings (currently approximately £25,000). For post-1998 income-contingent loans, borrowers repay 9 per cent. of income exceeding £15,000.

Higher Education

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many educational facilities were awarded university status in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: The following table lists all the institutions which have been granted university title since 1997.
	
		
			  Universities created post 1997 
			  University  Date it achieved university title 
			 University of Gloucestershire 10 October 2001 
			 University of the Arts, London 10 May 2004 
			 Roehampton University 22 June 2004 
			 University of Bolton 25 January 2005 
			 University of Winchester 29 June 2005 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 12 July 2005 
			 Liverpool Hope University 22 July 2005 
			 University of Chester 22 July 2005 
			 Bath Spa University 5 August 2005 
			 University of Worcester 24 August 2005 
			 University of Northampton 25 August 2005 
			 University of Chichester 12 October 2005 
			 Edge Hill University 9 May 2006 
			 York St John University 10 July 2006 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine(1) 8 July 2007 
			 University of Cumbria 1 August 2007 
			 Bucks New University 10 October 2007 
			 (1) Although the word 'university' does not appear in its title, it is defined as a university in its charter.

Higher Education

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many educational establishments had their university status removed in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: No institutions granted university title by the Privy Council have had that title removed.

Vocational Training: Cost Effectiveness

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what cost-benefit assessment has been made of Train to Gain;
	(2)  what cost-benefit assessment has been made of skills brokers.

David Lammy: Train to Gain is a new service specifically designed to support employers in identifying and then meeting the skills they need to drive their business forward. The design of Train to Gain was based on the employer training pilots which were rigorously evaluated by the Institute of Employment Studies and the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Launched in April 2006, Train to Gain reached full national coverage in England in August 2006. In its first year of full operation it engaged more than 52,000 employers and some 240,000 learners started on a programme of activity, many for the first time. We have set out our ambitions to reach more employers and to drive up levels of investment in skills in Plan for Growth, copies of which are in the Library of the House. In support of our expansion plans, we have a major programme of evaluation under way for all aspects of Train to Gain and will expect to publish, through the LSC, the conclusions of those evaluations, including the benefits accrued. Employers engaged continue to express high satisfaction with the skills brokerage, with the latest figures showing that 86 per cent. of employers are either satisfied or very satisfied with the overall service.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Females: Alternatives to Prison

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on alternatives to imprisonment for women.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 19 November 200 7
	I have had many discussions with ministerial colleagues on this subject. On 6 December 2007, the Government published its response to Baroness Corston's Review, which is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/gov-resp-corston-review.htm.
	In our response, we agreed to promote the effective use of community orders as an alternative to custody. They will emphasise a demanding regime of contact hours, and a mixture of punitive and rehabilitative requirements, including a more extensive use of curfews. In addition, in our response to Baroness Corston's Review, we made a commitment to set up projects, which will report next April, to look at alternatives to custody and review the future of the women's prison estate.

OLYMPICS

Departmental ICT

Susan Kramer: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many  (a) male and  (b) female members of staff of the Government Olympics Executive were issued with personal digital assistants in each year since 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Sutcliffe) on 30 January 2008,  Official Report, column 359W.

Olympic Delivery Authority

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will place in the Library the latest copy of the Olympic Delivery Authority's  (a) register of interests and  (b) register of gifts and hospitality.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority intends to publish  (a) its register of board members interests, and  (b) its gifts and hospitality register in the first quarter of 2008.
	A copy will be placed in the House Library at that time.

Olympic Games 2012: Housing

Andrew Love: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many local authority tenants will be displaced from their housing as a result of the 2012 Olympics; how their housing needs will be met; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The only social housing tenants affected by the Compulsory Purchase Order for the Olympic and Paralympic Games were at Clays Lane Housing Estate, which was located north of the Stratford City site. The estate comprised 450 social housing units, within which there were 425 residents who needed re-housing.
	Working closely with a wide partnership of social housing providers over a period of 18 months, the LDA established a range of options from which tenants could choose to relocate. All tenants were offered the opportunity to relocate to an assured tenancy or equivalent and the vast majority of tenants relocated to properties that they themselves had selected as best matching their requirements. Tenants were able to bid for social rented properties covered by local authority nominations and available through choice-based letting schemes, and were prioritised in the allocation procedures. They were also able to choose to relocate to properties owned by a wide range of registered social landlords. Direct offers were made to those tenants without an identified relocation property at the end of April 2007, based on an understanding of the individuals' preferences for their relocation.
	The LDA completed the relocation of residents from Clays Lane Estate on the 23( )July 2007.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers his Department employed in each of the last 10 years.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The number of press officers is published in the Office's annual reports.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Staff in the Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive (SE) and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) who each have bonus schemes, part of which relate to annual performance appraisal. The Scotland Office does not hold information on bonus payments under these annual performance appraisal systems. Under the Special Bonus Scheme of the SE and the Reward and Recognition Scheme of the MOJ, the Office may also directly authorise bonus payments for special effort, achievement and commitment; since 1999, the Office has made one bonus payment of £150 to a press officer.

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each year.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999 and maintains the policy that road traffic violations, such as parking tickets and speeding fines, remain the responsibility of the individual and are not reimbursed from public funds.

Scottish Parliament: Elections

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was of running the Scottish Parliamentary Elections of  (a) 1999,  (b) 2003 and  (c) 2007.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999 and was not therefore responsible for the initial funding of the Scottish Parliament election in May 1999. Since July 1999, the Office has, however, paid £5.562 million in respect of the 1999 election. Earlier costs were incurred by the Scottish Office and figures are not available.
	The Office has paid £12.071 million for the 2003 election; it is estimated that the cost of the 2007 election will be £19 million. The final cost of the 2007 election will not be known until all the accounts are submitted by returning officers; they have 12 months in which to submit accounts.

Scottish Parliament: Elections

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what fees were paid to DRS Data and Research Services plc to administer the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary Election.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has made no payments directly to DRS. The responsibility for making such payments lies with returning officers who have 12 months in which to submit accounts to the Secretary of State.

WALES

Carbon Emissions

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department met the target in the sustainable operations on the Government Estate programme to reverse the then upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007.

Paul Murphy: My Department was successful in reversing the upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007.
	The Wales Office was successful in reducing both energy and water consumption, and 100 percent of electricity supplied is now from renewable sources.

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of his Department's expenditure was on advertising in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Murphy: In 2006-07 my Department spent £17,240 on advertising for a new Head of Communication, just under 0.3 per cent. of total Wales Office expenditure that year. The Wales Office has incurred no other expenditure on advertising in the period of nearly nine years since it was created.

Departmental Vehicles

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many vehicles were  (a) owned and  (b) purchased by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Murphy: None. My Department leases ministerial cars from the Government Car Dispatch Agency.

Environment Protection

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department is working towards an accredited certified environmental management system  (a) for its whole estate or  (b) in some of its buildings.

Paul Murphy: My Department occupies Gwydyr House in London and leases office space in a modern building in Cardiff.
	The Wales Office is currently establishing a sustainable development strategy that will bring us closer to achieving accreditation for ISO14001.

Road Traffic Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) parking tickets and  (b) speeding fines were issued for vehicles used by his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost to the public purse of those penalties was in each year.

Paul Murphy: None.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the most recent tour intervals were of each regiment in the  (a) Household Cavalry,  (b) Royal Armoured Corps and  (c) the Royal Logistic Corps.

Derek Twigg: The most recent tour intervals for the Household Cavalry and the Royal Armoured Corps are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Royal armoured corps unit tour intervals 
			  Unit deployed  Last operational deployment  (as a unit)  Start date  Previous operational deployment  (as a unit)  End date  Last unit tour interval (months) 
			 Household Cavalry Regiment(1) Afghanistan October 2007 Iraq October 2004 35 
			 Queens Dragoon Guards Iraq May 2006 Iraq April 2005 12 
			 The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Iraq November 2005 Iraq June 2003 28 
			 Royal Dragoon Guards Iraq December 2007 Iraq April 2005 31 
			 Queens Royal Hussars Iraq May 2006 Iraq April 2004 24 
			 9(th)/12(th) Royal Lancers Iraq November 2005 Iraq April 2004 18 
			 Kings Royal Hussars Iraq June 2007 Iraq October 2005 19 
			 Light Division(1) Afghanistan April 2007 Iraq October 2005 17 
			 Queens Royal Lancers Iraq November 2006 Iraq October 2004 24 
			 2(nd) Royal Tank Regiment(2) Iraq March 2003 n/a — — 
			 (1) Subunits from Household Cavalry Regiments and Light Division have deployed in support of operations. The deployments listed are the unit deployments, defined as a regiment deploying with a regimental headquarters and more than two manoeuvre subunits for four months or more. Only the unit deployments will be included in the calculation. (2) 2 RTR last deployed as a unit on OP TELIC 1 (March 2003—June 2003). MOD records date from January 2003 and therefore we have no record of any unit deployments prior to Op TELIC 1. 
		
	
	The unit tour interval is a less relevant measure when applied to The Royal Logistic Corps. This is largely due to the frequency with which personnel move between formed units within these Corps (which means that the personnel deployed with a unit will be substantially different from the personnel who deployed with the same unit on a previous occasion). Unit tour interval data for this Corps is unrepresentative and therefore not routinely collated.

Armed Forces: Pay

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to receive the 2008 report on armed forces pay from the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body; and when he expects to publish the report.

Des Browne: holding answer 29 January 2008
	The Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) is an independent body and the precise timing of the submission of their 2008 report is a matter for it to decide. The Government will announce their response and publish the report once they have considered the AFPRB's recommendations.

Departmental Personal Records

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 22 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1225, on MOD (data loss), when and by what means his Department informed  (a) the Prime Minister,  (b) other Departments,  (c) West Midlands police,  (d) Ministry of Defence police and  (e) the devolved Administrations of the theft of the computer on 9 January.

Des Browne: holding answer 28 January 2008
	I have nothing further to add to the statement I made to the House on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1225.

Iraq: Detainees

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 885W, on Iraq: detainees, what the Government's policy is on recording  (a) requests for the transfer of individuals to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and  (b) the transfer of individuals to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay for which the UK Government's consent was not requested.

Des Browne: Any request made by the US authorities for approval to transfer to Guantanamo Bay an individual previously detained by UK forces but passed into their jurisdiction would be recorded. As I made clear in my answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 885W, we have no record of any such requests having been made and no record of any such individual being transferred without our consent.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will investigate the circumstances in which the 1972 direction on the use of hooding, referred to in paragraph 19 of the Aitken report on Cases of Deliberate Abuse and Unlawful Killing in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, came to be lost in 2003.

Des Browne: The question of how the direction following the publication of the "Directive on Interrogation by the Armed Forces in Internal Security Operations" in 1972 came to be lost is likely to be addressed in any future inquiry into the death of Mr. Baha Mousa. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 25 January 2008,  Official Report, column 65WS.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future maintenance of the UK armed forces helicopter fleet.

Bob Ainsworth: Our current helicopter operations at home and abroad are of critical importance to our armed forces and are being admirably supported by both MOD and industry. This support is being achieved increasingly though long-term partnering arrangements; the benefits of which are evident on our Merlin, Sea King and Chinook aircraft. This strategy for the maintenance of our fleet includes the consideration of the future ownership of DARA's Rotary Wing Components business, on which no decision has yet been reached. As our partnering arrangements with industry have proved, any potential sale of the businesses will neither compromise security of supply nor maintenance of future capability and availability of aircraft for front line duties.

Nuclear Weapons: Operating Costs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current annual operating cost is of the UK's nuclear warhead programme.

Des Browne: holding answer 28 January 2008
	I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave on 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 400W, to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey).

Official Engagements

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his official engagements were between 11 December 2007 and 13 January 2008.

Des Browne: Throughout the period 11 December 2007 to 13 January 2008,1 had various meetings in London and Scotland, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the MOD and Scotland Office. On 11 December and 12 December, I had meetings with several families of troops who died on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. On 12 December I attended the Scotch Whisky Association Reception in Dover House. On 14 and 15 December, I hosted a meeting in Edinburgh for the Defence and Foreign Ministers of nations contributing troops to NATO-led operations in southern Afghanistan. On, 17 December I discussed the outcome of the Edinburgh meeting with the NATO Secretary General and also met Ross Kemp to discuss his recent visit to Afghanistan. On 18 December I met representatives from Serco Defence, Science and Technology. On 19 December I held a video conference with representatives of the independent panel set up by the Canadian government to review their future role in Afghanistan (the Manley Panel). On 20 December, I took the salute at a passing out parade at the Army Training Regiment in Bassingbourn. On 3 and 4 January 2008, I visited Brussels for meetings with the UK ambassador to NATO and the UK delegation to the EU. On 5 January, I visited HQ Northern Ireland and was briefed by the General Officer Commanding. On 8 January, I had meetings with the Belgian ambassador and with Lieutenant General Mohan al-Firaji, Commander of Iraqi security operations in Basra, following which I gave evidence to the House of Commons Defence Committee on its inquiry into the future of NATO and European defence. On 10 January, I attended the House for a Defence debate on armed forces personnel. On 11 January, I hosted the pre-Budget report seminar in Edinburgh and visited the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow. On 12 January, I attended a meeting of the Executive of the Scottish Labour Party in Stirling.

Olympic Games 2012: Aldershot

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who will pay for the  (a) guarding,  (b) security and  (c) administration of the British Olympic team at Aldershot barracks; and what the estimated cost is.

Bob Ainsworth: The cost of the British Olympic Association's (BOA's) use of facilities at Aldershot Garrison will be met entirely by the BOA. No estimate is available at this stage; however, no costs will fall to the defence budget.

Trident: Operating Costs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current annual operating cost is of the Trident submarine fleet and missiles.

Des Browne: holding answer 28 January 2008
	The annual expenditure for capital and running costs of the current Trident nuclear deterrent, excluding costs for the Atomic Weapons Establishment, is expected to be around £720 million in 2007-08.

Warships

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he will list the warship launchings or other naming ceremonies which have taken place since May 1997; and which Ministers represented the Government on each occasion;

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which occasions since May 1997 no Minister has been present to represent the Government at warship launchings or other naming ceremonies.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 8 January 2008
	Records show that the following ship launches or naming ceremonies took place since 1997. Ministers attended these, as shown. However, information on ministerial attendance prior to 2000 is not currently available.
	
		
			  Date  Ship  Minister attending 
			 11 March 1997 Penzance — 
			 15 December 1997 Pembroke — 
			 20 February 1998 Ocean — 
			 27 May 1998 Kent — 
			 10 August 1998 Grimsby — 
			 19 September 1998 Vengeance — 
			 16 April 1999 Bangor — 
			 15 May 1999 Portland — 
			 25 November 1999 Ramsey — 
			 6 May 2000 St Albans — 
			 4 July 2000 Blyth — 
			 28 September 2000 Wave knight — 
			 9 February 2001 Wave ruler — 
			 9 March 2001 Albion — 
			 9 April 2001 Shoreham — 
			 15 November 2001 Bulwark — 
			 4 March 2002 Echo — 
			 2 May 2002 Enterprise — 
			 3 September 2002 Tyne — 
			 4 December 2002 Severn — 
			 14 June 2003 Mersey — 
			 1 August 2003 Largs bay — 
			 9 April 2004 Mounts bay Minister for the Armed Forces 
			 8 April 2005 Cardigan bay Minister for the Armed Forces 
			 14 October 2005 Lyme Bay — 
			 1 February 2006 Daring Secretary of State 
			 7 September 2006 Clyde — 
			 23 January 2007 Dauntless Minister for the Armed Forces Minister for Defence Equipment and Support 
			 8 June 2007 Astute Minister for Defence Equipment and Support 
			 27 November 2007 Diamond —

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC's Delivering Creative Future Programme

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of whether the BBC's Delivering Creative Future programme will enable the BBC to meet its public service obligations.

Andy Burnham: I have made no assessment. This is a matter for the BBC.

Digital Broadcasting: Television

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of households in each regional television area have digital television receiving equipment.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 29 January 2008
	The table shows the percentage of homes with digital by ITV region, taken from the Ofcom and Digital UK Switchover Tracker Survey, quarter three, 2007.
	
		
			  ITV region  Percentage 
			 STV North 72 
			 STV Central 88 
			 Border 82 
			 Wales 86 
			 Ulster (1)80 
			 London 82 
			 Meridian (1)79 
			 West country 82 
			 West 85 
			 Central (1)77 
			 Anglia (1)75 
			 Yorkshire (1)78 
			 Tyne Tees (1)90 
			 Granada 81 
			 (1) Small base size—data should be viewed as indicative only.

ITV: Wales

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will hold discussions with ITV on its provision of news and current affairs programmes for Wales.

Andy Burnham: The Government are committed to retaining a strong regional dimension to public service broadcasting. That is why the Communications Act 2003 provides safeguards for quality regional programming-making and regional programming and requires Ofcom to set appropriate targets for the provision of news and current affairs programmes.
	I have no plans to hold any discussions with ITV on this specific issue as the responsibility for regulating ITV's public service obligations falls to Ofcom. However, I expect these issues to form an important aspect of Ofcom's current PSB review.

National Lottery: Grants

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much held by each of the national lottery distribution bodies has not been drawn down as at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: The following table shows the balance held in the national lottery distribution fund on each lottery distributor's behalf at 31 December 2007.
	
		
			  Lottery distributor  £ million( 1) 
			 Arts Council England 152.482 
			 UK Film Council 36.847 
			 Arts Council Northern Ireland 18.646 
			 Scottish Arts Council 26.852 
			 Arts Council Wales 11.508 
			 National Heritage Memorial Fund 566.998 
			 Sport England 210.1 14 
			 Sport Northern Ireland 20.725 
			 Scottish Sports Council 50.088 
			 UK Sports Council 15.871 
			 Sports Council Wales 10.251 
			 Scottish Screen 5.776 
			 Big Lottery Fund 532.057 
			 (1) To three decimal places 
		
	
	In addition £85.533 million was held in the Olympic lottery distribution fund on behalf of the Olympic lottery distributor.

National Lottery: Olympic Games 2012

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much lottery funding will be allocated to  (a) the 2012 London Olympics and  (b) the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games over the next five years.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 17 January 2008
	The national lottery will contribute £2.175 billion in total to the funding package for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. Of this: £750 million will be raised from dedicated Olympic lottery products, of which well over £200 million has already been raised; £340 million will be contributed by the five sports lottery distributors, and the remaining £1,085 million will be transferred from non-Olympic lottery proceeds between 2009 and 2012.
	I understand that Glasgow's Candidate City File for the 2014 Games set out the various revenue streams that were expected and that this did not include any revenue from the lottery.

Television: Licensing

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangements there are to refund the TV licence fee when people lose their television signals for more than a year.

Andy Burnham: holding answer  25 January  2008
	Section 365(3) of the Communications Act 2003 gives the BBC a discretionary power to refund payments made in respect of a television licence. I understand the BBC has a policy of allowing refunds under certain circumstances. I have, therefore, asked the BBC's Head of Revenue Management to write direct to the hon. Member with further information.

Television: Licensing

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment his Department has made of the level of public awareness and recognition of (a) the television licence fee and (b) the services paid for by the licence fee.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 28 January 2008
	These matters were addressed fully in the BBC Charter review, which was completed in 2006. The results can be found on the Charter review website at:
	http://www.bbccharterreview.org.uk.

Television: Licensing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will change the name of the television licensing fee to the BBC licensing fee.

Andy Burnham: I have no plans to do so.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Autism

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mechanisms his Department has in place to ensure the continuity of local education authority services provided to children with autism and Asperger's syndrome as they make the transition to adulthood.

Kevin Brennan: The "Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice" (2001) sets out a statutory transition planning process, beginning in year 9, for all young people with SEN statements, including those with autism and Asperger's syndrome. The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department of Health (DH) have recently published "a transition guide for all services: key information for professionals about the transition process for disabled young people" (2007) to help local authorities and others improve the effectiveness of transition planning.
	"Aiming High for Disabled Children" (HM Treasury/DCSF, 2007) announced a £19 million Transition Support Programme over 2008-09 to 2010-11 partly to encourage "joint team working across agencies and with adult services to encourage a holistic approach, and choice and control for young people". This programme will consider the particular issue of continuity of services as disabled children pass into adulthood.
	For young people with autism and Asperger's syndrome in particular, DCSF and DH published "Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Good Practice Guidance" (2002). This includes pointers to good practice for schools, local authorities, Connexions and the Learning and Skills Council on transitions for these young people.

Learning Disability: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were on the roll in each moderate learning difficulty school in Essex in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: h olding answer 30 January 2008
	 The number of children on roll at each moderate learning difficulty school in Essex for the last five years is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Moderate learning difficulty schools: Headcount of pupils( 1) —position  in January each year, 2003-07.  Essex local authority 
			  Headcount of pupils 
			  School name  Open/closed indicator  Closure date  Type of establishment  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Moat House School Closed 31 August 2003 Community Special 58 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Kingswode Hoe School Open — Community Special 99 87 87 100 111 
			 The Mead School Closed 31 March 1999 Community Special n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Cedar Hall School Open — Community Special 122 124 117 116 113 
			 Thriftwood School Open — Community Special 118 112 117 120 121 
			 Peter Kirk School Closed 31 December 1998 Community Special n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Woodcraft School Open — Independent School Approved for SEN Pupils 23 31 29 32 32 
			 The Endeavour School Open — Foundation Special 74 71 74 79 77 
			 St. John's RC School (Essex) Open — Non-Maintained Special 107 103 105 103 102 
			 The Chelmsford New Model Special School, Haywood Campus Open — Community Special 100 97 102 91 133 
			 The Chelmsford New Model Special School, Woodlands Campus Open — Community Special 98 87 96 121 105 
			 Market Field School Open — Community Special 122 126 115 134 146 
			 Castledon School Open — Community Special 97 92 84 88 94 
			 The Leas School Closed 31 August 2005 Community Special 97 89 76 n/a n/a 
			 The Edith Borthwick School Open — Community Special 156 149 158 162 160 
			 n/a = Not available (school closed) (1) Excludes dually registered pupils.

Parenting Orders

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many parenting orders have been issued in each region in each year since 2004.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is detailed in the Annex.
	The Department has since September 2004 collected data on the number of applications made by local authorities to the courts for education-related parenting orders in cases of irregular school attendance and exclusions.
	
		
			  By local authority area, by government office region in England 
			School academic year  
			2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Number of education-related parenting orders made between  1 September 2004 and  31 August 2007 
			   England1,446 
			   
			   North East 12 35 44 91 
			 841 Darlington 1 2 2 5 
			 840 Durham 0 3 1 4 
			 390 Gateshead 0 0 4 4 
			 805 Hartlepool 0 0 2 2 
			 806 Middlesbrough 0 4 7 11 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 0 0 0 0 
			 392 North Tyneside 0 0 0 0 
			 929 Northumberland 0 0 0 0 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 1 6 13 20 
			 393 South Tyneside 6 4 3 13 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 0 1 0 1 
			 394 Sunderland 4 15 12 31 
			   
			   North West 103 110 112 325 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 0 6 0 6 
			 890 Blackpool 10 10 8 28 
			 350 Bolton 1 0 0 1 
			 351 Bury 0 1 3 4 
			 875 Cheshire 2 0 0 2 
			 909 Cumbria 7 3 8 18 
			 876 Hatton 0 2 4 6 
			 340 Knowsley 1 0 5 6 
			 888 Lancashire 15 12 15 42 
			 341 Liverpool 7 5 23 35 
			 352 Manchester 3 4 1 8 
			 353 Oldham 0 0 0 0 
			 354 Rochdale 1 4 4 9 
			 355 Salford 14 16 28 58 
			 343 Sefton 0 0 0 0 
			 342 St. Helens 0 0 1 1 
			 356 Stockport 5 4 0 9 
			 357 Tameside 7 6 1 14 
			 358 Trafford 6 4 8 18 
			 877 Warrington 0 2 0 2 
			 359 Wigan 17 29 3 49 
			 344 Wirral 7 2 0 9 
			   
			   Yorkshire and The Humber 56 57 56 169 
			 370 Barnsley 15 9 11 35 
			 380 Bradford 6 5 9 20 
			 381 Calderdale 3 10 2 15 
			 371 Doncaster 3 13 11 27 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 6 5 3 14 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 4 2 0 6 
			 382 Kirklees 2 0 1 3 
			 383 Leeds 15 10 14 39 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 0 2 2 4 
			 815 North Yorkshire 0 1 0 1 
			 372 Rotherham 0 0 0 0 
			 373 Sheffield 2 0 2 4 
			 384 Wakefield 0 0 1 1 
			 816 York 0 0 0 0 
			   
			   East Midlands 32 43 18 93 
			 831 Derby 0 0 3 3 
			 830 Derbyshire 6 7 2 15 
			 856 Leicester 19 31 12 62 
			 855 Leicestershire 3 4 1 8 
			 925 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 
			 928 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 
			 892 Nottingham 4 0 0 4 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 0 1 0 1 
			 857 Rutland 0 0 0 0 
			   
			   West Midlands 12 10 12 34 
			 330 Birmingham 2 0 1 3 
			 331 Coventry 0 0 0 0 
			 332 Dudley 0 0 1 1 
			 884 Herefordshire 0 0 0 0 
			 333 Sandwell 0 0 0 0 
			 893 Shropshire 1 1 1 3 
			 334 Solihull 0 0 1 1 
			 860 Staffordshire 0 2 0 2 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 4 5 0 9 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 0 0 0 0 
			 335 Walsall 0 2 6 8 
			 937 Warwickshire 0 0 1 1 
			 336 Wolverhampton 0 0 0 0 
			 885 Worcestershire 5 0 1 6 
			   
			   East of England 26 26 20 72 
			 820 Bedfordshire 5 7 7 19 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 2 0 0 2 
			 881 Essex 14 13 5 32 
			 919 Hertfordshire 0 0 1 1 
			 821 Luton 0 1 1 2 
			 926 Norfolk 0 5 5 10 
			 874 Peterborough 0 0 0 0 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 0 0 0 0 
			 935 Suffolk 5 0 1 6 
			 883 Thurrock 0 0 0 0 
			   
			   London 
			   Inner London 29 35 37 101 
			 202 Camden 0 1 0 1 
			 201 City of London 0 0 0 0 
			 204 Hackney 1 5 6 12 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 6 8 8 22 
			 309 Haringey 0 1 2 3 
			 206 Islington 0 1 1 2 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 6 3 0 9 
			 208 Lambeth 0 0 0 0 
			 209 Lewisham 14 15 9 38 
			 316 Newham 0 0 0 0 
			 210 Southwark 1 1 2 4 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 0 0 0 0 
			 212 Wandsworth 0 0 6 6 
			 213 Westminster 1 0 3 4 
			   
			   Outer London 43 81 69 193 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 0 0 3 3 
			 302 Barnet 0 0 1 1 
			 303 Bexley 4 5 9 18 
			 304 Brent 4 15 7 26 
			 305 Bromley 9 1 3 13 
			 306 Croydon 2 0 4 6 
			 307 Ealing 1 1 1 3 
			 308 Enfield 1 4 7 12 
			 203 Greenwich 9 28 13 50 
			 310 Harrow 0 0 0 0 
			 311 Havering 0 0 0 0 
			 312 Hillingdon 1 4 1 6 
			 313 Hounslow 0 0 0 0 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 6 3 5 14 
			 315 Merton 0 2 2 4 
			 317 Redbridge 0 0 2 2 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 3 3 3 9 
			 319 Sutton 3 14 8 25 
			 320 Waltham Forest 0 1 0 1 
			   
			   South East 64 73 91 228 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 0 0 0 0 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 4 2 2 8 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 7 1 0 8 
			 845 East Sussex 1 0 0 1 
			 850 Hampshire 19 23 20 62 
			 921 Isle of Wight 2 1 2 5 
			 886 Kent 12 25 40 77 
			 887 Medway 0 1 0 1 
			 826 Milton Keynes 0 2 0 2 
			 931 Oxfordshire 2 3 2 7 
			 851 Portsmouth 5 7 7 19 
			 870 Reading 0 0 3 3 
			 871 Slough 0 0 0 0 
			 852 Southampton 12 7 13 32 
			 936 Surrey 0 0 1 1 
			 869 West Berkshire 0 1 1 2 
			 938 West Sussex 0 0 0 0 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 0 0 0 
			 872 Wokingham 0 0 0 0 
			   
			   South West 48 41 51 140 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 5 0 3 8 
			 837 Bournemouth 7 3 3 13 
			 801 Bristol, City of 8 9 3 20 
			 908 Cornwall 0 6 0 6 
			 878 Devon 6 3 4 13 
			 835 Dorset 0 2 10 12 
			 916 Gloucestershire 1 0 0 1 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 0 
			 802 North Somerset 7 1 3 11 
			 879 Plymouth 0 0 0 0 
			 836 Poole 1 1 6 8 
			 933 Somerset 0 2 0 2 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 2 9 5 16 
			 866 Swindon 5 3 3 11 
			 880 Torbay 3 0 2 5 
			 865 Wiltshire 3 2 9 14

Special Educational Needs: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children with statements of special needs attended mainstream secondary schools in Essex in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of children with statements of special needs attending mainstream secondary school—Essex local authority: 2003-07, January each year 
			   Number( 1) 
			 2003 1,370 
			 2004 1,380 
			 2005 1,440 
			 2006 1,470 
			 2007 1,510 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest 10.  Note: Includes middle schools as deemed.  Source: School Census 2003-07

Special Educational Needs: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in Essex received statements of special needs in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of children receiving statements of special needs—Essex local authority, 2002-06 
			   Number 
			 2002 609 
			 2003 567 
			 2004 630 
			 2005 685 
			 2006 783 
			  Source: SEN 2 Survey 2002-06

TRANSPORT

Christmas

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department's agencies spent on  (a) Christmas cards and  (b) postage of Christmas cards in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to my replies given on 11 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 419-20W and 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 837W. It is not possible to provide information before 2002 when the Department for Transport was established.

Cycling: Norfolk

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of cycling track have been developed in each of the last five years in  (a) Norfolk and  (b) Norwich.

Rosie Winterton: Norfolk county council provided the following information on cycle tracks for Norfolk for the last five years. We do not hold any data on Norwich.
	
		
			   Cycle tracks (kilometres) 
			 2002-03 3 
			 2003-04 7 
			 2004-05 3 
			 2005-06 6 
			 2006-07 (estimated) 3

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what minimum demonstrable security standards are required by her Department of an outside organisation before it is allowed to handle personal information.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department and its agencies are required to follow the principles of the Department's procurement manual. The general terms and conditions, as set out in the procurement manual, for the procurement of services from outside organisations, require the contractors to comply with the Data Protection Act. In the case of contracts where the processing of personal data is a key part of the service to be provided (i.e. where the contractor will act as our 'data processor') tenderers are required to provide specific guarantees about the technical and organisational security measures they have in place to ensure compliance with the seventh principle of the Data Protection Act, which if they are successful should form part of the contract. The general terms and conditions also set out a general duty of care for contractors.
	The Department and its agencies set additional security standards on a case by case basis during the procurement process depending on the nature of the service to be provided.

Departmental E-mails

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to reduce the number of hard copies of emails printed by officials in her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport is in the process of updating its guidance to staff on the printing of e-mails along the lines of "Think before you print" and double side if you need to print. Additionally, e-mails issued through the departmental system will carry a footer note reminding the recipient to think whether they need to print. The Department has also recently commissioned a study to explore the potential rationalisation of printers, which will contribute towards the attainment of sustainability targets.
	The Department for Transport's agencies already have in place "print only essential e-mails" guidance for their staff and when printing is necessary to ensure it is double sided wherever possible. They also promote the use of the "print preview" option to reduce the number of printed e-mails.
	There is a continuous improvement target of reducing paper usage incorporated into environmental management systems where they exist across the Department.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what weight of paper her Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Paper recycling is not a specific target under Sustainable Operation on the Government Estate (SOGE); therefore not all areas of the Department for Transport have this detail recorded. However, for those sites that have recorded data, which happen to be the main sites within the department, the figures for the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   Quantity (tonnes) 
			 2002-03 1,175 
			 2003-04 1,225 
			 2004-05 1,677 
			 2005-06 1,376 
			 2006-07 1,342

Emergency Services: Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents have occurred involving blue light vehicles from the  (a) police force,  (b) fire service and  (c) ambulance service in each of the last five years; and how many (i) deaths and (ii) serious injuries resulted from accidents in each such category.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of reported personal injury road accidents involving vehicles from  (a) the police force,  (b) the fire service and  (c) the ambulance service and the number of resulting fatalities and seriously injured casualties in each of the last five years are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  (a) Number of accidents/casualties—police force 
			   Accidents  Fatalities  Seriously injured casualties 
			 2002 2,184 34 333 
			 2003 2,025 27 245 
			 2004 2,026 31 293 
			 2005 1,817 26 222 
			 2006 1,827 30 244 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Number of accidents/casualties—fire service 
			   Accidents  Fatalities  Seriously injured casualties 
			 2002 110 0 9 
			 2003 125 4 24 
			 2004 118 4 18 
			 2005 91 2 13 
			 2006 91 0 18 
		
	
	
		
			  (c) Number of accidents/casualties—ambulance service 
			   Accidents  Fatalities  Seriously injured casualties 
			 2002 308 5 52 
			 2003 353 11 54 
			 2004 292 4 43 
			 2005 284 5 32 
			 2006 274 5 43

Kent

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funds in the form of  (a) revenue payments,  (b) capital grants and  (c) supported borrowing for which her Department is responsible have been made available to (i) Kent county council, (ii) Thanet district council and (iii) Dover district council in 2007-08.

Rosie Winterton: The Department is providing the following revenue grants to Kent county council in 2007-08:
	
		
			  Grant  Amount (£) 
			 Urban bus challenge 35,893 
			 Kickstart 138,729 
			 Rural bus subsidy 2,276,481 
			 Road safety grant 2,540,374 
			 Detrunked roads 259,163 
			 Total 5,250,640 
		
	
	In addition it has contributed half of the revenue funding for school travel advisers totalling £189,000 and paid to Kent by Department for Communities and Local Government in area-based grant. It also contributed £95,500 for walking to school initiatives to the Department for Children, Schools and Families schools standards fund, which DCSF paid to Kent county council for onward transmission to schools, it also funds Sustrans to manage the 2007-08 Links to Schools programme and Kent county council has been allocated £40,000 for 2007-08.
	Most revenue funding support for day to day transport services (such as highways maintenance, supporting bus services and concessionary fares) is included in the revenue support grant for Kent county, Thanet district and Dover district councils, administered by CLG.
	The Department has made the following capital allocations funded by supported borrowing and direct capital grants available to Kent county council in 2007-08:
	
		
			  £000 
			   Direct capital grant  Supported borrowing 
			 Integrated Transport 4,100 7,593 
			 Highways Capital Maintenance 9,514 15,530 
			 East Kent Access Phase One 500 0 
			 Road Safety Grant 565.218 0 
			 Total 14,679.218 23,123 
		
	
	The Department has not allocated funding to Thanet or Dover district councils in 2007-08.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Minister of State will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 4 December 2007 on heavy lorries on country lanes (reference: RW/JF/027469/07).

Jim Fitzpatrick: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member today.

Merseytravel: Per Capita Costs

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding per head of population was allocated to Merseytravel in each year since 1993, expressed in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have specifically allocated funding for rail franchise payments, local transport capital funding and some other transport revenue grants to Merseytravel (as shown in tables 1 to 3 respectively, with totals in table 4). Rail figures prior to franchising (i.e. prior to 1997-98) are not readily available.
	All four tables show the cash allocated, the cash per head of population (based on the Office for National Statistics' population figure of 1,367,000 for 2005) and the funding per head of population expressed in terms of 1987 prices (using the retail price index).
	Most revenue support for Merseytravel for public transport (other than rail franchise payments) is included in the revenue support grant allocated to the district councils, on which Merseytravel levies. This is not included in the figures because the Government does not specify how much of the revenue support for the district councils should be for Merseytravel.
	
		
			  Table 1: Rail franchise payments 
			(£ per head) 
			   Cash (£000)  Cash  Funding 1987 prices 
			 1997-98 72,025 52.69 33.45 
			 1998-99 65,702 48.06 29.50 
			 1999-2000 60,389 44.18 26.71 
			 2000-01 58,331 42.67 25.06 
			 2001-02 88,161 64.49 37.21 
			 2002-03 90,845 66.46 37.72 
			 2003-04 91,731 67.1 37.01 
			 2004-05 83,111 60.8 32.56 
			 2005-06 72,561 53.08 27.65 
			 2006-07 86,915 63.58 32.10 
			 2007-08 90,337 66.08 31.99 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Local  t ransport  c apital  a llocations to Merseytravel 
			(£ per head) 
			   Cash (£000)  Cash  Funding 1987 prices 
			 1993-94 14,908 10.91 7.75 
			 1994-95 6,812 4.98 3.46 
			 1995-96 8,626 6.31 4.23 
			 1996-97 5,679 4.15 2.12 
			 1997-98 9,466 6.92 4.40 
			 1998-99 7,190 5.26 3.23 
			 1999-2000 8,423 6.16 3.73 
			 2000-01 8,286 6.06 3.56 
			 2001-02 15,800 11.56 6.67 
			 2002-03 18,343 13.42 7.62 
			 2003-04 21,797 15.95 8.79 
			 2004-05 30,574 22.37 11.98 
			 2005-06 19,679 14.40 7.50 
			 2006-07 17,012 12.44 6.28 
			 2007-08 18,903 13.83 6.69 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Specific revenue grants for buses and cycling 
			(£ per head) 
			   Cash (£000)  Cash  Funding 1987 prices 
			 1993 to 1997-98 0 0.00 0.00 
			 1998-99 83 0.06 0.04 
			 1999-2000 83 0.06 0.04 
			 2000-01 83 0.06 0.04 
			 2001-02 320 0.23 0.14 
			 2002-03 1,021 0.75 0.42 
			 2003-04 1,259 0.92 0.51 
			 2004-05 1,117 0.82 0.44 
			 2005-06 415 0.30 0.16 
			 2006-07 327 0.24 0.12 
			 2007-08 685 0.50 0.24 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Total funding allocations to Merseytravel 
			(£ per head) 
			   Cash (£000)  Cash  Funding 1987 prices 
			 1997-98 81,491 59.61 37.85 
			 1998-99 72,975 53.38 32.77 
			 1999-2000 68,895 50.40 30.47 
			 2000-01 66,700 48.79 28.65 
			 2001-02 104,281 76.28 44.02 
			 2002-03 110,209 80.62 45.76 
			 2003-04 114,787 83.97 46.32 
			 2004-05 114,802 83.98 44.98 
			 2005-06 92,655 67.78 35.30 
			 2006-07 104,254 76.26 38.50 
			 2007-08 109,925 80.41 38.92

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cars were impounded and destroyed for failure to pay vehicle excise duty in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales and  (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Unlicensed vehicles on a public road are clamped. If a release fee and either a tax disc or surety payment is not made within 24 hours, the vehicles are impounded. If fees are not paid, the vehicle will be disposed of either by it being scrapped, recycled to the emergency services or, in a few cases, sold. Information we hold on the number of vehicles subject to these enforcement steps is:
	
		
			   Vehicles clamped  Of these: vehicles impounded  Vehicles disposed of by scrapping or sale 
			  England
			 2002 32,270 21,391 16,583 
			 2003 57,794 37,015 27,354 
			 2004 61,732 44,449 30,994 
			 2005 77,355 57,578 36,004 
			 2006 78,272 56,986 33,763 
			 2007 108,385 65,010 39,872 
			 Total 415,808 282,429 184,570 
			 
			  Scotland
			 2002 3,062 2,494 2,011 
			 2003 5,199 3,347 2,876 
			 2004 4,028 2,611 2,277 
			 2005 4,030 2,385 2,068 
			 2006 4,393 2,761 2,197 
			 2007 8,209 3,986 3,005 
			 Total 28,921 17,584 14,434 
			 
			  Wales
			 2002 1,274 763 689 
			 2003 2,290 1,225 1,090 
			 2004 2,265 1,299 1,080 
			 2005 2,613 1,855 1,303 
			 2006 4,144 2,315 1,500 
			 2007 7,048 3,589 2,368 
			 Total 19,634 11,046 8,030 
			 
			  Northern Ireland
			 2002 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2003 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2004 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2005 1,329 (1)— 283 
			 2006 3,132 911 849 
			 2007 5,039 1,213 557 
			 Total 9,500 2,124 1,689 
			 
			  Total
			 2002 36,606 24,648 19,283 
			 2003 65,283 41,587 31,320 
			 2004 68,025 48,359 34,351 
			 2005 85,327 61,818 39,658 
			 2006 89,941 62,973 38,309 
			 2007 128,681 73,798 45,802 
			 Total 473,863 313,183 208,723 
			 (1) No figures available.

Rail Passengers Council Report

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response she has made to the recommendations of the Rail Passengers Council Report, March 2005, on the deployment of class 450 rolling stock on the Portsmouth mainline.

Tom Harris: The Department has examined the report, which records a range of views about the class 450s. The report does not, however, make specific recommendations and the Department has made no formal response to it.

Railways: Concessions

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will extend and fund national concessionary travel schemes to  (a) rail services and  (b) London underground.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 25 January 2008
	From April this year, for the first time, those aged 60 and over, and the eligible disabled, will be able to travel anywhere in England on off-peak local buses. This new concession is being funded at a cost of an additional £212 million—bringing our total commitment to concessionary travel to around £1 billion per year. Our current focus is very much on the successful implementation of this new all-England concession from April.
	Local authorities retain the ability to offer discretionary concessions, including rail or underground travel, over and above the statutory minimum, if they wish to do so from their own resources.

Roads: Construction

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road-widening schemes have been approved by the Highways Agency in each year since 1997; and what the cost of each completed scheme was.

Tom Harris: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Roads: Construction

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many major new road schemes have been approved by the Highways Agency in each year since 1997; and what the cost of each completed scheme was.

Tom Harris: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the demand for additional carriages to be added to Virgin Pendolino trains on the West Coast mainline route; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport has assessed demand on the West Coast Main Line and continues to take action to ensure provision of extra capacity, as envisaged in the 2007 high level output specification (HLOS) statement. An additional 30 per cent. capacity will be realised from the existing fleet of 'Pendolino' trains from December 2008, when a more intensive service will be introduced.
	The Department is currently refining requirements for the lengthening of a number of the 'Pendolino' trains by two carriages, for introduction early in the life of the next franchise for West Coast Trains (2012 onwards), subject to value-for-money considerations.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of speed cameras is expected to be  (a) nationally and  (b) in each police force area in 2007-08.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not held by the Department. Since 1 April 2007 local road safety partnerships have been responsible for the deployment and operation of safety cameras. Cameras are now funded in the same way as other road safety measures through the local transport plan process, which includes a specific road safety grant. Partnerships are free to spend the grant according to local priorities.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methodology she uses to estimate the number of lives saved by the siting of speed cameras.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The annual independent evaluations of the national safety camera programme assessed the effectiveness of cameras using a statistical model which took account of many different parameters including the effects of long-term trends and seasonal variations. Details of the modelling approach are included in the appendices to these reports.
	The four-year evaluation, published on 15 December 2005, found a 42 per cent. reduction in people killed or seriously injured at camera sites, that means around 1,745 fewer people killed or seriously injured per annum, including over 100 fewer deaths.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Public Expenditure

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 570-1W, on departmental public expenditure, what percentage of annual managed expenditure savings made by his Department HM Treasury has agreed to add to his Department's expenditure limit.

Anne McGuire: Work to refine a methodology for calculating savings resulting from the Pathways to Work programme is on-going. The value of annual managed expenditure savings captured will be assessed periodically as positive outcomes from Pathways to Work are demonstrated. Any additional DEL funding provided to DWP will be allocated through normal processes.

Health and Safety Executive: Complaints

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) incidents and  (b) complaints were (i) reported and (ii) investigated by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last four years, broken down by region.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 22 January 2008
	National level statistics were provided in my response to the hon. Member's question PQ/07/173797 of 10 January 2008,  Official Report, column 720W. Unfortunately, due to incompatibilities between HSE's current computer system and an earlier system, significant and disproportionate costs would be involved in extracting an historical regional breakdown, and manually validating the results.

Incapacity Benefit

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those people claiming incapacity benefit at the most recent date are expected to  (a) die and  (b) reach state retirement age in each of the next 10 years.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available.

Incapacity Benefit: Leicestershire

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were claiming incapacity benefit in Leicestershire on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: At May 2007, there were 16,130 working age claimants of incapacity benefits in Leicestershire.

Incapacity Benefit: Newcastle upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) men and  (b) women were incapacity benefit claimants in Newcastle upon Tyne in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 22 January 2008
	The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance cases by gender in Newcastle upon Tyne local authority 
			   Working age females  Working age males 
			 May 1997 6,500 11,500 
			 May 1998 6,800 11,400 
			 May 1999 7,300 12,100 
			 May 2000 7,060 12,020 
			 May 2001 7,380 12,360 
			 May 2002 7,530 12,410 
			 May 2003 7,490 11,880 
			 May 2004 7,240 11,460 
			 May 2005 7,040 11,040 
			 May 2006 6,830 10,510 
			 May 2007 6,540 10,080 
			 (1) 1997, 1998 and 1999 figures are uprated to WPLS totals and rounded to the nearest 100. (2) Figures for 2000 onwards are rounded to the nearest 10. (3) Totals may not sum due to rounding. (4) 1997, 1998 and 1999 figures are based on a five per cent. sample, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.  Source: DWP Information Directorate five per cent. sample and 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Incapacity Benefits: Industrial Diseases

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will accept and implement the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council recommendations that those who have worked at screens on the surface of coal mines for 40 years or more be covered by Prescribed Disease PD D12; and if he will publicise that decision to all interested parties.

Anne McGuire: The impact of implementing the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council's recommendations regarding screen workers at the surface of coal mines is currently being assessed.
	A decision will be made in light of that assessment.

Job Creation: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new jobs were created in Bexley in each of the last four years.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the reasonability of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 January 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the number of new jobs created in Bexley in each of the last four years. (182093).
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, figures from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes in employment from year to year.
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1 attached provides estimates based on people aged 16 and over, in employment, resident in Bexley.
	Figures for 2004 are for the twelve months ending February that year. Figures for 2005-2007 are for the twelve months ending March the same year.
	As with any survey, results from the APS at a small geographical area are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Net change in employment levels, for people aged 16 and over, by area of residence 
			  Thousand 
			   Bexley 
			   Level  Net change 
			 2004 107 — 
			 2005 109 1 
			 2006 108 -1 
			 2007 107 -1 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for 2004 are for the 12 months ending February. 2. Figures for 2005-2007 are for the 12 months ending March. 3. Figures at this detailed level are produced from the LFS microdata which are weighted to the population estimates published by ONS in spring 2003. They do not incorporate the more recent population estimates used in the headline LFS employment series. 4. As with any survey, results from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty  Source: Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey

Job Creation: Essex

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new jobs were created in  (a) Romford,  (b) Essex and  (c) Greater London in each of the last four years.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested fails within the reasonability of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 January 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the number of new jobs created in each of the last four years in Romford, Essex and Greater London. (181667).
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes in employment from year to year.
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1 attached provides estimates based on people aged 16 and over, in employment, resident in London, Essex and Havering. Figures are not available for Romford from the APS.
	Figures for 2004 are for the twelve months ending February. Figures for 2005-2007 are for the twelve months ending March,
	As with any survey, results from the APS at a small geographical area are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Net change in employment levels, for people aged 16 and over, by area of residence 
			  Thousands 
			   London  Essex  Havering 
			   Level  Net change  Level  Net change  Level  Net change 
			 2004 3,397 — 649 — 112 — 
			 2005 3,424 27 654 5 109 -3 
			 2006 3,441 17 654 0 108 -1 
			 2007 3,512 71 651 -3 108 0 
			 1. Figures for 2004 are for the 12 months ending February. 2. Figures for 2005-07 are for the 12 months ending March. 3. London figures are provided by Government office region. Essex and Havering figures are by unitary authority. 4. Figures at this detailed level are produced from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) microdata which are weighted to the population estimates published by ONS in spring 2003. They do not incorporate the more recent population estimates used in the headline LFS employment series. 5. As with any survey, results from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.  Source: Annual Population Survey

National Insurance: Foreign Workers

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many temporary national insurance numbers have been issued to non-EU nationals in each year since 1997; and if he will give a breakdown by nationality of the number issued in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The Department does not issue temporary national insurance numbers. Employers sometimes create temporary reference numbers for the purpose of their payroll records, where an employee has not provided a national insurance number. Such numbers are not recognised or used by either DWP or HMRC systems.

New Deal Schemes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were on a New Deal programme on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: In May 2007(1), there were 464,350 people participating on a new deal programme.
	(1) Latest available data.

Pensioners

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average income of pensioners in each London borough was in each quarter of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Information for London cannot be provided at a lower level than Government office region, averaged over three years. Information that is available is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Average net weekly income before housing costs for all pensioner units, in real terms 
			  £ per week (2005-06 prices) 
			   London  Great Britain 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 227 219 
			 1995-96 to 1997-98 225 224 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 242 231 
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 256 237 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 276 245 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 286 255 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 287 264 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 287 272 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 287 279 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 303 287 
			  Notes 1 .Net income before housing costs is gross income less income tax payments, national insurance contributions, contributions to occupational and private pension schemes, local taxes, maintenance and child support payments, and parental contributions to children living away from home. Gross income is from all sources received by the pensioner unit, including income from social security benefits, earnings from employment, any private pension, and tax credits. 2. Based on survey data and as such subject to a degree of sampling and non sampling error. 3. Figures are based on the average of three years' data for government office regions as single year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year-on-year changes. Great Britain figures are included on the same basis for comparison: further information for single years at a national level are available in the publication 'Pensioners' Income Series 2005-06 (Revised)'. 4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £. 5. Pensioner units are either pensioner couples or single pensioners. 6. Pensioner couples are couples where one or more of the adults are state pension age or over.  Source: Pensioners' Income Series 2005/06 (Revised)

Pensioners: Barnsley

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average value of benefits provided by the state was to a  (a) single pensioner and  (b) pensioner couple in Barnsley, East and Mexborough in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Pensioners: Paisley

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average value of benefits in kind provided by the state to  (a) single pensioners and  (b) pensioner couples in Paisley and Renfrewshire, North was in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: A wide range of services and benefits in kind are available to older people and these are administered both centrally and locally. As a result the information requested is not available in the format requested: some information is not collected, some could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and some is devolved to Scottish Ministers. The information which is available is as follows.
	 TV licences
	Free television licences for people aged 75 or over were introduced in November 2000. TV Licensing, who administer free licences as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of licences issued. However, figures, shown in the following table, are available for the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming winter fuel payments in Paisley and Renfrewshire, North constituency. These people would be eligible for a free television licence.
	
		
			  Paisley and Renfrewshire, North constituency 
			   Number of households with someone aged 75 or over 
			 2004-05 9,340 
			 2005-06 4,300 
			 2006-07(1) 4,420 
			 (1) Main payment run only  Notes: 1. Data for 2004-05 include West Renfrewshire, Paisley North and Paisley South as this was before the new parliamentary constituencies were divided. 2. Data prior to 2004-05 are not available.

Pensions Act 2004

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what regulations have been made under sections  (a) 257 and  (b) 258 of the Pensions Act 2004.

Mike O'Brien: The Transfer of Employment (Pension Protection) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005 No. 649) have been made under powers contained in section 258 of the Pensions Act 2004.

Performance Appraisals

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1381W, on performance appraisals, what standards of  (a) behaviour and  (b) attendance employees of the Department are required to meet.

Anne McGuire: All employees are expected to comply with the Department's Standards of Behaviour policy which is based on the Civil Service Code. A copy of this document is available in the Commons Library.
	Key principles of the Department's Standards of Behaviour policy include integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. These apply to employees at work and in aspects of their private life which may impact on their work.
	Under the Department's Attendance Management policy, the majority of employees would be formally interviewed if their absences due to sickness reached or exceeded eight days in a rolling 12-month period. The specific action taken would depend on the particular circumstances of the case. In many instances, this would take into account the advice given by an occupational health specialist.

Performance Appraisals

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1381W, on performance appraisals, how many and what percentage of staff in his Department did not meet  (a) some and  (b) all of the objectives and targets in their appraisals in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is not available.

Postal Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which companies are under contract to his Department to provide mail services.

Anne McGuire: The list of companies DWP has contracts with for the provision of mail services is as follows:
	Royal Mail Group: postal services (this is UK-wide via an agreed memorandum of understanding)
	TNT: Internal courier services (this is a cross Government courier contract let by DWP)
	UK Mail: Down Stream Access provision for second class output from DWP's regional delivery centres to customers. (This is a framework contract let by Office of Government Commerce Buying Solutions.)
	Spring Global Mail: International Mail (this is a DWP let contract)
	Hays DX: Document Exchange service for DWP Solicitors, Debt Management and Compensation Recovery Unit (DWP access this via an HMRC let contract).

Social Security Benefits: Employment

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  which Jobcentre Plus offices offer Better Off Calculations; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  in which circumstances repeat Better Off Calculations are offered; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether Better Off Calculations take into account income from tax credits and benefits in the second year of employment; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what advice is provided to individuals along with the outcome of their Better Off Calculation; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  which unit of his Department is responsible for Better Off Calculation policy.

Anne McGuire: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 30 January 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking which Jobcentre Plus offices offer Better Off Calculations; in which circumstances repeat Better Off Calculations are offered; whether Better Off Calculations take into account income from tax credits and benefits in the second year of employment; what advice is provided to individuals along with the outcome of their Better Off Calculation and which unit of his Department is responsible for Better Off Calculation policy. This is something, which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	All Jobcentre Plus offices offer Better Off Calculations. Additionally, a stand-alone version of the calculator, known as Personal Benefit Advice, is distributed on request to external organisations, such as the Citizen's Advice Bureau, which enables them to offer Better Off Calculations to their customers.
	Personal Advisers consider offering a Better Off Calculation during all interviews with the customer and one is performed whenever it is appropriate to do so throughout the life of the customer's claim. Guidance is available to Personal Advisers about the minimum expectations of when it is appropriate to offer a calculation to each individual customer group. For example, for lone parents calculations are expected to be reviewed at each interview in order to ensure the information is current. Equally, the customer can request a calculation at any time.
	During the interview, the Personal Adviser records a 'snapshot' of the current circumstances, based on personal and financial information provided by the customer and compares this with their potential income if they were to get a job at a particular wage. This 'snapshot' takes into account any benefits or tax credits that are in payment to the customer and includes information on entitlement to both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. The customer also gets an indication of their in work Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and tax credit entitlement when considering employment opportunities. BOC has the facility to conduct and hold two calculations (usually one on benefit and one in employment); the results are then used to produce an individual 'better off' amount.
	Additional functionality has been developed, which will enable Personal Advisers to also provide a comparison of circumstances in the second year of employment. Jobcentre Plus will be able to provide this additional service each year to customers who receive a calculation in the period between the announcement of the revised tax bands in the Chancellor's Pre Budget Report and the end of the current tax year. As soon as HM Revenue and Customs confirm the revised tax bands for 2008/2009, this new enhancement will be made available to Personal Advisers.
	The Better Off Calculator provides written information for the customer including advice about other in-work benefits, including Housing & Council Tax Benefits, Job Grant, Free School Meals, which helps the customer to make an informed decision about entering work.
	Within the Department for Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus has responsibility for Better Off Calculations Policy.
	I hope this is helpful.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit claimants were prosecuted for falsely declaring income in each year since 1997, broken down by type of benefit.

James Plaskitt: Information regarding the number of people prosecuted for falsely declaring income is not available for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claims. The information regarding DWP administered benefits is unavailable by benefit type and is not available prior to 2005.
	The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Number of claimants prosecuted for falsely declaring income in DWP administered benefits 
			   Number of claimants 
			 2005-2006 6,600 
			 2006-2007 6,777 
			  Notes: 1. "Prosecuted" means those accepted by the Department for prosecution. 2. DWP administered benefits include Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Carer's Allowance.  Source: Fraud Information by Sector

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Flood Defences

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much he has made available to the Environment Agency as flood defence grant-in-aid; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Flood and coastal erosion risk management spending will rise from £600 million this year to £800 million in 2010-11. No final decisions have yet been made on how these record levels of investment will be allocated but a formal announcement will be made in due course. Decisions on individual regional funding allocations are a matter for the Environment Agency.

Pig Welfare

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to protect the welfare of pigs.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal.
	More specific requirements for pig welfare are set out in the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, which focus on the detailed conditions pigs must be kept in.

Grain Farmers

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes have taken place in the average income of grain farmers in each of the last two years.

Hilary Benn: Figures published this morning show that cereal farms in England saw an increase of 70 per cent. in average farm business income in 2006-07 to £56,100 with a further increase of 45 per cent. in 2007-08 to £81,100.

Whaling

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Japan on whaling in the Southern ocean.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 8 January, I met the deputy ambassador from Japan to express the United Kingdom's outrage and to urge Japan to end its slaughter of whales. On 21 December, the UK, along with 29 other countries, also took part in a démarche calling on the Japanese to cease all their lethal scientific research on whales.

Whaling

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Japanese Government on whaling.

Jonathan R Shaw: There have been no recent discussions between DEFRA Ministers and Japanese Ministers on this issue. However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written 18 countries encouraging them to join for the International Whaling Commission for the greater protection of whales.

Carbon Emissions

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the provision of cross-sectoral support to reduce waste and carbon dioxide emissions in the economy.

Hilary Benn: I regularly discuss these matters with my ministerial colleagues.
	Reducing waste in order to help tackle carbon dioxide emissions is a major priority for this Department and we actively engage with all sectors through a range of initiatives, including direct support, incentives and disincentives to encourage them to play their role.

Coastal Access

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Natural England on public access to coastal areas.

Hilary Benn: We have held regular meetings with Natural England since it submitted its report in February 2007 on ways to improve access to the English coast.
	We have announced our intention to introduce new legislation so that the public will have the right to walk around the English coast for the first time. We are seeking an appropriate opportunity to bring this forward.

Food Production: Animal Welfare

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that food sold in England meets domestic standards of animal welfare in its production.

Jonathan R Shaw: Most of the laws on farmed animal welfare are agreed at EU level and reflected in our domestic legislation. Inspections are carried out in this country to ensure compliance by producers. World trade rules prevent us from banning imports on the grounds of third country welfare standards.

Flooding: Emergency Arrangements

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to review the emergency planning arrangements applicable in circumstances of major flooding.

Hilary Benn: We have accepted all the urgent recommendations from the interim report of the Pitt Review and are working to take these forward as quickly as possible.
	The Government Lead Department Plan has been revised. Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, local responders, emergency services and the Environment Agency are required to assess flood risks and draw up plans to meet them. Many have been tested in real events in recent months.

Nitrate-vulnerable Zones

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likely economic impact on farmers of the introduction of nitrate-vulnerable zones; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) accompanying the consultation on the implementation of the nitrates directive in England indicates that, if nitrate vulnerable zones are extended to cover 70 per cent. of England, expected costs to industry will be in the region of £53-105 million per annum. There is scope for mitigating some of these costs which may bring the overall cost impact down to £35-81 million per annum.

Food Production

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the environmental impacts of food production and consumption research report by Manchester Business School; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: This is a valuable report which consolidated available evidence on the life cycle impacts of the food products in a typical UK family's shopping trolley. In line with the report's recommendations we are undertaking further research in this area and working to reduce the global impacts of UK food production and consumption, through improving products, supply chains, and influencing consumer behaviour.

Bird Registration

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the costs and benefits of schedule 4 registration of birds under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Joan Ruddock: A partial regulatory impact assessment that included an estimate of costs and benefits was prepared and included in the consultation on proposed changes to the bird registration scheme. This consultation took place between November 2006 and February 2007. My Department will prepare an impact assessment for amendments made to species listed on Schedule 4 and associated regulations under section 7 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The cost to DEFRA of administering the current scheme is estimated at £350,000 per year, plus approximately £100,000 in costs in administrative burdens. This does not include any enforcement costs.

Food Pricing

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration he has given to the regulation of farm to retail price spreads, with particular reference to supermarkets; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government believe prices are for the market to determine and do not get involved, provided competition rules are respected. As the hon. Member is probably aware the Competition Commission is currently conducting an inquiry into the groceries market as a whole.

Shetland Islands

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications of the European Commission's recent ruling on Shetland Islands Council and state aid rules.

Jonathan R Shaw: The European Commission is right to uphold the state aid rules: these are for the benefit of the whole fishing industry. However, this will impact on individual fishermen and I sympathise with the position they are in. Hence, I have offered to give proper assistance to the Shetland Islands Council in progressing its appeal.

Flood Defences: Budget

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the flood defence budget for 2008-09.

Hilary Benn: The funding settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11 is based on evidence of risk and the pressures which formed part of the comprehensive spending review. It is consistent with the funding increase suggested by the Foresight Future Flooding study.

Animal Welfare: Livestock

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will hold discussions with Compassion in World Farming on the welfare of calves exported to Europe to be reared for veal.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has regular discussions with Compassion In World Farming, as well as other stakeholders, on the live export of calves to Europe.

Animals: Diseases

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what notifiable animal disease outbreaks have occurred in each of the last 10 years; and what the estimated cost to  (a) the British farming industry and  (b) the public purse was of each.

Jonathan R Shaw: A list of notifiable disease outbreaks for the last 10 years (taken from previous Chief Veterinary Officer annual reports) is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Disease 
			 2007 Avian Influenza (Al) 
			  Bluetongue 
			  Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) 
			  Contagious Equine Metritis Organism (CEMO) 
			  Bat Rabies (European Bat Lyssavirus Type 2) 
			  Tuberculosis (TB) 
			 2006 Al 
			  Newcastle Disease 
			  Bat Rabies 
			  Anthrax 
			  CEMO 
			  Equine Infectious Anaemia 
			  Scrapie 
			  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) 
			  TB 
			 2005 Newcastle Disease 
			  CEMO 
			  Scrapie 
			  BSE 
			  Paramyxovirus (PMV) in Pigeons 
			  TB 
			 2004 Brucellosis 
			  Scrapie 
			  PMV in Pigeons 
			  BSE 
			  Equine Viral Arteritis 
			  TB 
			 2003 Scrapie 
			  PMV in Pigeons 
			  BSE 
			  CEMO 
			  Brucellosis 
			  TB 
			 2002 Scrapie 
			  PMV in Pigeons 
			  BSE 
			  CEMO 
			  Anthrax 
			  TB 
			 2001 Scrapie 
			  PMV in Pigeons 
			  BSE 
			  Foot and Mouth Disease 
			  TB 
			 2000 Scrapie 
			  PMV in Pigeons 
			  BSE 
			  Classical Swine Fever 
			  TB 
			 1999 PMV in Pigeons 
			  BSE 
			  Scrapie 
			  TB 
			 1998 PMV in Pigeons 
			  BSE 
			  Equine Viral Arteritis 
			  Scrapie 
			  TB 
		
	
	Information on the cost of all notifiable disease outbreaks is not available for each of the past 10 years. Available evidence suggests that by far the most costly exotic disease outbreak in this period was FMD in 2001, which was estimated to have cost Government £2.6 billion (in 2001 prices), leaving a further £355 million in uncompensated costs to agricultural producers.
	DEFRA's current estimate of the economic cost to the UK livestock sector as a result of the 2007 FMD outbreak is over £100million. The estimated total cost to the Government of the outbreaks in 2007 is £47 million for FMD, £1.7 million on bluetongue and £5 million on Al (two outbreaks). The other values could only be provided at disproportionate cost to the Department.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to review the presentation of the statistics of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle to give an accurate indication of trends in TB incidence independent of any changes to testing regimes.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA is currently conducting a fundamental review of its bovine tuberculosis (TB) statistics, with the aim of producing statistics that provide a reliable, comprehensive and useful description of the TB situation in Great Britain. The issue of how best to deal with the effect of changes to testing regimes on calculating TB incidence is included in the scope of the review.

Climate Change

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure the UK is able to adapt to climate change.

Joan Ruddock: The Climate Change Bill, which it is hoped will receive Royal Assent by mid 2008, will provide a strong sustainable framework for adapting to the impacts of climate change. It will require Government to report at least every five years on current and predicted impacts of climate change, and on their proposals and policy for adapting to these.
	Once the legislative framework is confirmed we will be publishing an adaptation policy framework setting out our approach across Government to taking action to adapt.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by his Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has a diversity team in place to develop and implement strategies that actively promote equality and diversity throughout the organisation. The team supports the business to ensure that the DEFRA work force is representative of the wider community and to improve organisational and people management performance as it relates to diversity.
	The Department has a duty to comply with current equalities legislation to ensure fairness in our employment practices and in our dealings with those we serve. In particular, we have concentrated on the publication of equality schemes and on training staff to carry out effective equality impact assessments.
	Following the 2004 Gershon Report which looked across government for efficiency savings, DEFRA was required to meet significant headcount reductions by March 2008. As a part of the Department's restructuring staff resources available to work on diversity has been reduced. The number of staff employed in the diversity team has therefore reduced during 2007 from 12 to four. This reduction has been achieved by mainstreaming diversity throughout the organisation and ensuring that the new team adopts a strategic focus.
	The total budget for the diversity team in 2004-05 was £499,000. This reduced to £470,000 for 2005-06, and to £368,000 for 2006-07. Forecast expenditure for 2007-08 is in the region of £330,000.
	The staffing costs in these three years were £346,000, £357,000 and £297,000. Current staffing costs for 2007-08 are expected to be in the region of £260,000.
	Throughout 2007, DEFRA has taken significant action in relation to its statutory responsibilities as set out in equalities legislation on age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status. Consultancy costs were circ. £50,000 to ensure the compliance of our disability, race and gender equality schemes.
	DEFRA's diversity team has been working to put equality at the centre of policy making, strategic planning, service delivery and employment practice. Some of the responsibilities under the legislation include carrying out equality impact assessments, publishing equality schemes (race, gender and disability) and publishing annual employment monitoring reports.
	An equalities impact assessment process has been developed and embedded into the Department's policy and project planning processes. There has also been a significant investment in the training of decision makers and policy makers in the use of the DEFRA equality impact assessment tool. This tool enables the potential impact that a policy, process or function may have on different groups to be assessed and addressed, both retrospectively and predicatively.
	There has also been activity to support the progression of under-represented groups in senior management positions, and make progress against the 10 point plan for a diverse civil service. For example, the Department has developed and run positive action mentoring programmes for women, ethnic minority and disabled staff.
	Other training products developed include 'Looking Beyond the Difference', a multi-media blended learning solution that is used by individuals and groups to raise diversity awareness and ensure that DEFRA is a place where people respect and value each other.
	A number of staff networks are supported by the diversity team. There are networks for: ethnic minority staff; disabled staff; lesbian gay, bisexual and transgender; and work-life balance. These networks are made up of volunteers from around the organisation, who provide a support mechanism for their members and a rich source of advice to the Department. The diversity team allocates approximately £15,000 each year for the work of the staff networks. The cost of making reasonable adjustments for disabled staff is also met from the diversity budget.

Dogs: Quarantine

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the scientific basis is for dogs arriving in the United Kingdom from areas to which the pet passport scheme does not apply to be required to spend six months in quarantine.

Jonathan R Shaw: The quarantine period of six months is linked with the potential incubation period of rabies and was established in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee of Enquiry on Rabies in 1971 (The Waterhouse Report). The Kennedy Report (Quarantine and Rabies: A Reappraisal) published in 1998, reviewed the quarantine period and concluded that it should remain six months for countries other than those to which the pet travel scheme applies.
	DEFRA is carrying out a review of its rabies import control policy, including quarantine. The evidence from the review, including an independent veterinary risk assessment of the introduction of rabies into the UK, indicates that the UK's current import controls may no longer be proportionate to the risk of rabies entering the UK. The conclusions of that review are being considered further.
	No decisions have yet been made on any changes to our quarantine controls or pet travel scheme requirements and for the present all current controls continue to apply.

Landfill: Health Hazards

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of landfill sites on the health and well-being of nearby residents.

Joan Ruddock: All the available evidence on the health effects of living in proximity to landfill sites was assessed and summarised in the report published by my Department in 2004, "Review of the environmental and health effects of waste management". The report was produced by Enviros and peer reviewed by the Royal Society and can be accessed on the DEFRA website.

New Forest Verderers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 2305-6W, on New Forest Verderers, for what reason he declined to re-appoint Mr. Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre as Official Verderer of the New Forest; and on what sources of information he based that decision;
	(2)  whether he consulted the New Forest National Park Authority before declining to re-appoint Mr. Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre as Official Verderer;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the level of performance of his duties as Official Verderer by Mr. Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre.

Joan Ruddock: The Official Verderer is a significant appointment and it is important that the process for selecting candidates operates transparently. Mr. Crosthwaite Eyre was first appointed in 2002 and was re-appointed in 2005 for a second three-year term, with the expectation that he would serve until 2008. Towards the end of last year Mr. Crosthwaite-Eyre intimated that he had achieved his aspirations for the post and we therefore concluded that this was an appropriate time to initiate a selection process following the principles of the code of practice for ministerial appointments to public bodies.
	The National Park Authority played no part in the decision to accept the Official Verderer's offer when he placed his office at the disposal of the Crown. The performance of the Official Verderer is not in question and Mr. Crosthwaite-Eyre is free to reapply for the post if he so chooses.

Scrapie: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made towards its public service agreement target of a reduction of 40 per cent. in the prevalence of scrapie infection by 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The public service agreement (PSA) target was based on a 2004 model that assumed our existing voluntary ram genotyping scheme (RGS), part of the national scrapie plan, would be replaced with a compulsory scheme which was a pending EU-wide requirement. That requirement was dropped by the EU Commission at the end of 2006. A compulsory scheme has therefore not been implemented in Great Britain and we are consulting on closure of the current voluntary scheme.
	The 2004 model has recently been re-run with regard to the change in the EU position and assuming that the voluntary RGS closes. It suggests that this PSA target of a 40 per cent. reduction in the prevalence of scrapie infections should nevertheless be reached in 2011.

Swine Fever

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information is made available by his Department for pig farmers on the prevention of swine fever.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has published fact sheets which include information on how to recognise the signs of classical swine fever (CSF) and guidance on biosecurity for prevention of the introduction and spread of disease. These are available in hard copy and are distributed at events such as livestock markets and agricultural shows. The fact sheets would also be issued to livestock keepers within CSF protection and surveillance zones should zones be imposed in an outbreak. The fact sheets, along with further comprehensive information for farmers on both the disease and our control policy, can be found on the CSF pages of the DEFRA website. In addition, there is regular engagement between the Government, industry and stakeholders from the pig industry to ensure a common understanding of the risks and the appropriate outbreak response.

Swine Fever

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk of  (a) classical swine fever and  (b) African swine fever to the UK pork farming industry.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA monitors outbreaks of high impact diseases (including classical swine fever (CSF) and African swine fever (ASF)) worldwide and assesses risks to the UK. These assessments are available on the DEFRA website. In 2007 DEFRA produced nine preliminary outbreak assessments on CSF and ASF.
	The overall risk of the introduction of these two diseases to the UK has increased over the past few months, but still remains low. This emphasises the importance of strict compliance with EU rules for the trade in live pigs and their products, appropriate enforcement at the border, and compliance with the swill feeding ban in the UK.
	If, despite these precautions, CSF or ASF viruses enter the country, the risk of pigs becoming infected has been reduced by the introduction of the ban on swill feeding in May 2001. If a pig is infected, the spread of the disease would be limited by the standard disease control methods DEFRA would put in place, including culling all pigs on an infected premises and dangerous contacts, and movement controls around those premises.

Swine Fever: East Anglia

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the cause of the outbreak of classical swine fever in East Anglia in 2000.

Jonathan R Shaw: A full investigation was carried out according to standard epidemiological principles at the time of the outbreak. The cause was not finally established but was most likely the result of pigs eating a contaminated imported pork product.

Swine Fever: Vaccination

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he has given to the merits of putting operational arrangements in place to implement an emergency vaccination programme in the event of a classical swine fever outbreak.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 25 January 2008
	Although currently available vaccines for classical swine fever (CSF) are able to reduce mortality, it is likely that some vaccinated pigs would still be capable of transmitting the disease if they became infected, but would not display symptoms of disease. This would increase the time taken to detect and eradicate the virus.
	In the event of an outbreak, swift detection and culling of infected herds is a more effective and efficient approach. Vaccination could use up resources and reduce our ability to achieve that objective. Therefore, there are currently no operational arrangements in place to mount a CSF vaccination programme, although we keep our policy on CSF vaccination under review in the light of scientific developments in vaccines.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1393-94W, on waste disposal: fees and charges, if he will place in the Library a copy of the separate study with information on larger households referred to in the answer.

Joan Ruddock: I am arranging for a copy of the study requested to be placed in the House Library.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the planned timetable is for the  (a) running and  (b) evaluation of waste charging pilots.

Joan Ruddock: For question  (a), I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 14 January 2007,  Official Report, column 871W.
	For question  (b), the timetable for evaluation of the pilot household waste incentive schemes (including those which have a charging element) will in turn be dependent on their start date. As can be seen in the Climate Change Bill, we have committed to report back to Parliament on each of the pilots and we will do so when we have gathered sufficiently robust evidence.

Waste Information Services Ltd: Finance

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column1498W, on Waste Information Services Ltd: finance, for what purpose WRAP—the Waste and Resources Action Programme—made payments to Waste Information Services Ltd; and what services were provided by that company.

Joan Ruddock: Waste Information Services Ltd. has been engaged by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) on two occasions in the last three years to offer specialist advice on the collection of batteries for recycling.

Whales

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) Cabinet colleagues and  (b) representatives of foreign Governments on (i) whaling, (ii) the international moratorium on whaling, (iii) scientific whaling, (iv) whale conservation and (v) whale-related tourism; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when the most recent ministerial-level discussion was held on whaling; on what dates since 2005 Ministers from his Department have discussed whaling with colleagues in other Departments; when he next intends to discuss whaling with Cabinet colleagues; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA Ministers have discussed whaling with colleagues in other Government Departments whenever the opportunity has arisen.
	On the topic of scientific whaling, I met with Japanese embassy officials on 8 January to express the UK's outrage over Japan's 'scientific' whaling activities.
	The UK has made representations to foreign governments through our publication 'Protecting Whales—Global Responsibility' (endorsed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister (Mr. Brown) and Sir David Attenborough) which has been sent to over 60 countries urging nations to protect these species worldwide. This publication has recently been updated, including a new section on whale-related tourism with the Prime Minister stating on the day of release that
	"The current and future benefits from whale watching far exceed those from killing whales."
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Hilary Benn) has also written to 18 countries encouraging them to join the International Whaling Commission (IWC) for the greater protection of these species through inter alia upholding the IWC's moratorium on commercial whaling.

PRIME MINISTER

Heathrow Airport

Justine Greening: To ask the Prime Minister what meetings officials from his Office have had with BAA on  (a) Crossrail and  (b) expansion of Heathrow Airport since June 2007; if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each of those meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

Heathrow Airport

Justine Greening: To ask the Prime Minister when officials in his Office were first shown a draft of the "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport" public consultation document; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: Department for Transport officials engaged with other Government Departments, including my Office, at various stages during the development of the "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport" consultation document.
	The draft consultation document, including the consultation stage impact assessment, received collective clearance in November 2007.

JUSTICE

Compensation: Mining

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to recompense miners for the mishandling of their compensation claims as set out in the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner's report entitled Investigation into the Handling of Coal Health Compensation Schemes Complaints by the Legal Complaints Service and Solicitors Regulation Authority dated 15th January 2008.

Bridget Prentice: The responsibility for dealing with complaints about solicitors is a matter for the Law Society, as the legal profession is currently self-regulating. However, I am aware of Members continued interest regarding claims under the Coal Health Compensation Scheme and I am particularly grateful to colleagues who have assisted, working with the Law Society's Legal Complaints Services to resolve outstanding issues and raise awareness. The Government believe that it is important that miners who complain to the Law Society about their claims under the Coal Health Compensation Scheme get the level of service and compensation that they deserve. The Government have sought regular updates from the Law Society to ensure that progress is being made in continually improving the service, and are awaiting a detailed response from the Law Society to the Legal Services Complaints Commissioners' Special Report.
	It is our understanding that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has authorised investigations into 60 firms of solicitors; 20 firms have been referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and the SRA has won the first three disciplinary cases heard there. To date, solicitors have refunded over £3 million to miners and this figure is expected to rise as more investigations are completed. The Legal Complaints Service has received 2,884 complaints to date, of which 2,038 have been closed. This has resulted in excess of £700,000 being recovered for former miners or their relatives.
	The Government have legislated in the Legal Services Act 2007 to create an independent Office for Legal Complaints, which will remove complaints handling from the legal professional bodies it will also enable approved regulators to deal more effectively with cases of widespread wrongdoing in the future.

Coroners

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what dates, in chronological order, the inquests into the deaths of  (a) Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell,  (b) Corporal Russell Aston,  (c) Corporal Paul Long,  (d) Corporal Simon Miller,  (e) Lance Corporal Benjamin Hyde,  (f) Lance Corporal Thomas Keys,  (g) Captain James Linton,  (h) Captain David Jones,  (i) Major Matthew Titchener,  (j) Warrant Officer Colin Wall,  (k) Corporal Dewi Pritchard,  (l) Fusilier Russell Beeston,  (m) Corporal Ian Plank,  (n) Private Ryan Thomas,  (o) Rifleman Vincent Windsor,  (p) Sapper Robert Thomson,  (q) Corporal Richard Ivell,  (r) Private Christopher Rayment,  (s) Private Marc Ferns,  (t) Lance Corporal Paul Thomas,  (u) Fusilier Stephen Jones,  (v) Corporal Marc Taylor,  (w) Private David Lawrence,  (x) Private Kevin McHale,  (y) Sergeant Stuart Gray,  (z) Private Paul Lowe,  (aa) Private Scott McArdle,  (ab) Sergeant Paul Connelly,  (ac) Flight Lieutenant Paul Pardoel,  (ad) Major Matthew Bacon,  (ae) Captain Ken Masters,  (af) Sergeant Christian Hickey and  (ag) Sergeant John Jones took place.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the following table and tables attached to a written ministerial statement made today on progress with the inquests into the deaths of service personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.
	
		
			  Name of deceased  Date of inquest heard 
			 Captain James Linton 24 February2004 
			 Private Kevin McHale 17 August 2005 
			 Corporal Richard Ivell 17 August 2005 
			 Private Christopher Rayment 21September 2005 
			 Fusilier Stephen Jones 21 September 2005 
			 Sapper Robert Thomson 21 September 2005 
			 Corporal Dewi Pritchard 11 October 2005 
			 Major Matthew Titchener 11 October 2005 
			 Warrant Officer 2 Colin Wall 11 October 2005 
			 Fusilier Russell Beeston 11 October 2005 
			 Lance Corporal Paul Thomas 12 October 2005 
			 Captain David Jones 16 November 2005 
			 Private Marc Ferns 16 November 2005 
			 Sergeant Stuart Gray 14 December 2005 
			 Private Paul Lowe 14 December 2005 
			 Private Scott McArdle 14 December 2005 
			 Rifleman Vincent Windsor 18 January 2006 
			 Gunner David Lawrence 15 February 2006 
			 Corporal Marc Taylor 15 February 2006 
			 Corporal Russell Ashton 13 March 2006 
			 Sergeant Simon Hamilton- Jewell 13 March 2006 
			 Lance Corporal Benjamin Hyde 13 March 2006 
			 Lance Corporal Thomas Keys 13 March 2006 
			 Corporal Paul Long 13 March 2006 
			 Corporal Simon Miller 13 March 2006 
			 Corporal Ian Plank 5 April 2006 
			 Private Ryan Thomas 16 May 2006 
			 Sergeant Paul Connolly 17 May 2006 
			 Major Matthew Bacon 22 May 2006 
			 Captain Ken Masters 27 June 2006 
			 Sergeant John Jones 27 July 2006 
			 Sergeant Chris Hickey 15 September 2006 
			 Flight Lieutenant Paul Pardoel (1)— 
			 (1) Date listed for hearing 31 March 2008

Coroners

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice upon what dates, in chronological order, the coroner's inquests upon the deaths of  (a) Lance Corporal Barry Stephen,  (b) Trooper David Jeffrey Clarke,  (c) Staff Sergeant Chris Muir,  (d) Lieutenant Alexander Tweedie and  (e) Lance Corporal James McCue took place.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the following table and the tables attached to a written ministerial statement made today on progress with the inquests into the deaths of service personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Inquests were not held into the deaths of Trooper Clarke, whose body was not found, or Lieutenant Tweedie, who died of his injuries in Scotland. Inquests were, however, held into the deaths of Corporal Stephen Allbutt (12 July 2007) and Lance Corporal Karl Shearer (24 to 26 January 2007) who died in the same incidents. At the inquests into the deaths of Corporal Allbutt and Lance Corporal Shearer evidence was heard about the deaths of Trooper Clarke and Lieutenant Tweedie respectively.
	
		
			  Name of deceased  Date of inquest heard 
			 Staff Sergeant Chris Muir 14 August 2003 
			 Lance Corporal Barry Stephen 23 February 2005 
			 Lance Corporal James McCue 16 November 2005

Custodial Treatment

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average distance was between the place of custody of  (a) male prisoners,  (b) female prisoners and  (c) young offenders and recorded home address in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and how many of each category were detained more than (i) 50 and (ii) 100 miles away from home in each such year.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the average distance from home for male and female prisoners and young offenders (male and female under 21 years) in each of the last 10 years.
	
		
			  Miles 
			   Average distance from home for male prisoners  Average distance from home for female prisoners  Average distance from home for young offenders 
			 1998 52 63 51 
			 1999 56 66 53 
			 2000 55 63 52 
			 2001 53 65 51 
			 2002 53 64 51 
			 2003 52 68 49 
			 2004 51 62 48 
			 2005 50 58 47 
			 2006 50 58 50 
			 2007 49 55 50 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of male and female prisoners and young offenders (male and female under 21 years) held between 50 and 100 miles, and over 100 miles from home in each of the last 10 years.
	
		
			   Male prisoners held  Female prisoners held  Young offenders held 
			   between 50 and 100 miles from home  over 100 miles from home  between 50 and 100 miles from home  over 100 miles from home  between 50 and 100 miles from home  over 100 miles from home 
			 1998 12,500 9,000 950 500 2,500 1,200 
			 1999 13,200 10,400 900 700 2,600 1,350 
			 2000 13,200 10,200 900 600 2,700 1,250 
			 2001 13,000 9,700 1100 800 2,850 1,050 
			 2002 13,600 10,900 1000 1000 2,650 1,250 
			 2003 13,200 10,900 1000 1100 2,450 1,100 
			 2004 14,900 9,200 1100 900 2,600 1,050 
			 2005 14,600 8,800 900 600 2,550 1,050 
			 2006 16,000 10,000 1100 800 2,950 1,200 
			 2007 17,100 10,100 1000 800 2,850 1,300 
		
	
	Figures for both tables are taken from sample data, not necessarily in the same month each year.
	Where no home address is listed for a male or female prisoner or young offender the committal court is used as a proxy address.

Democratic Engagement

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) terms of reference and  (b) timescale he is proposing for a Speakers Conference on democratic engagement.

Michael Wills: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister proposed in his speech to the National Council of Voluntary Organisations last year that a Speaker's Conference be established, to bring together the parties at Westminster to consider, against the backdrop of a decline in turnout, a number of electoral issues including the representation of women and ethnic minorities in the House of Commons. I hope to make an announcement on the way forward shortly.

Electoral Register

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received on the report of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on voter registration in the UK.

Bridget Prentice: I have not received any representations. I am, however, aware of early day motion 754.

Judiciary: Complaints

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints about the judiciary were received by his Department and its predecessors in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) was established in April 2006 replacing its predecessor the Judicial Correspondence Unit (JCU). The OJC was created by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and handles complaints about the alleged personal misconduct of judicial office holders in accordance with the provisions of the Judicial Discipline (Prescribed Procedures) Regulations 2006.
	Unlike the OJC, the statistics for the JCU do not distinguish between inquiries and complaints, nor do they include data on complaints against tribunal members or lay magistrates. In addition, complaints received by the JCU were recorded by calendar year, whereas complaints received by the OJC are recorded by financial year in order to tie in with the business planning and resource cycles. Direct comparison between JCU and OJC statistics are therefore not possible.
	The first table details the number of complaints and inquiries received by the JCU for each year from 2002 to 2005. The second table details the number of complaints received by the OJC during financial year 2006-07.
	
		
			   Complaints and inquiries received by the JCU 
			 2002 1,191 
			 2003 1,122 
			 2004 1,004 
			 2005 1,600 
		
	
	A further 246 complaints were received by the JCU between January and April 2006.
	
		
			   Complaints received by the OJC 
			 2006-07 1,674

National Offender Management Service

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how prison and probation service property is defined; and what the value of that property is.

David Hanson: Prison and Probation Service property is valued (and therefore defined) in line with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors' and government accounting guidance. The net value of the prison and probation land and buildings (including private finance initiative premises and excluding construction work in progress) held on the NOMS asset register at the 31 March 2007 was £6,351 million.

National Offender Management Service: Accountancy

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what annual cost of depreciation is used for accounting purposes at the National Offender Management Service (NOMS); what formula is used to calculate it; and whether depreciation is accounted for as a current cost in NOMS.

David Hanson: The element of depreciation relating to NOMS for 2006-07 was £202.8 million. Land and buildings are valued at current value and other operational assets at open market value and depreciation is calculated on a straight line basis. Depreciation rates are based on asset lives which vary dependant upon the asset. The depreciation charge is included in NOMS' resource expenditure, i.e. a current cost.

Offenders: Databases

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individual offender records of individuals in prison or on probation were held on electronic databases in each of the last six years.

David Hanson: All offenders in prison or under probation service supervision will be recorded on prison and probation administrative IT systems. The table shows (a) the prison population as at 30 June each year and (b) the number of offenders under probation service supervision in the community as at 31 December each year in England and Wales 2002-07:
	
		
			Probation supervision 
			   Prison population  Court orders  Persons supervised under post-release 
			 2002 71,218 116,125 22,000 
			 2003 73,657 120,734 21,106 
			 2004 74,488 128,217 22,739 
			 2005 76,190 137,377 25,603 
			 2006 77,982 146,532 26,096 
			 2007 79,734 149,045 26,763 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording systems, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prison Accommodation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many new prison places he plans to provide in 2008; in which prison each new place will be located; what type of structure each cell will be; what the life expectancy of each cell provided will be; and what the average cost of building each place is estimated to be;
	(2)  how many new prison places became operational in 2007; in which prison each place was located; what type of structure each cell was; what the life expectancy of each cell is; and what the average cost of building each place was.

Jack Straw: New prison places delivered during 2007 as part of the Prison Capacity Programme are listed in the following table.
	
		
			  Location  Places  Construction type  Lifetime (Years) 
			 Lowdham Grange 106 Houseblock 60 
			 Kennet 342 Conversion 10-15 
			 Featherstone 64 RBRu 40 
			 Garth 180 Houseblock 60 
			 Channings Wood 64 TCM 25 
			 Altcourse 180 Houseblock 60 
			 The Mount 44 RBRu 40 
			 Stocken 120 Houseblock 60 
			 Whatton 60 TCM 25 
			 Haverigg 64 RBRu 40 
			 Lindholme 60 TCM 25 
			 Highdown 178 Houseblock 60 
			 Hindley 60 TCM 25 
			 Total for 2007 1,522 — — 
		
	
	The new places planned for 2008 are listed in the following table. The programme of delivery may be subject to change.
	
		
			  Location  Places  Construction type  Lifetime (Years) 
			 Stoke Heath(1) 60 TCM 25 
			 Ranby 60 TCM 25 
			 Portland 64 RBRu 40 
			 Send 64 RBRu 40 
			 Erlestoke 60 TCM 25 
			 Wayland 300 TCF 25 
			 Acklington 64 RBRu 40 
			 Isle of Wight 68 Conversion Minimum 25 
			 Lewes 176 Houseblock 60 
			 Stocken 64 RBRu 40 
			 Kirklevington Grange 60 TCM 25 
			 Blundeston 60 TCM 25 
			 Highdown 180 Houseblock 60 
			 Brinsford 64 RBRu 40 
			 Wymott 64 RBRu 40 
			 Bullingdon 120 Houseblock 60 
			 Coldingley 124 RBRu 40 
			 Highpoint 64 RBRu 40 
			 Ashwell 64 RBRu 40 
			 Rochester 300 TCF 25 
			 Swaleside 180 Houseblock 60 
			 Onley 64 RBRu 40 
			 Total for 2008 2,324 — — 
			 (1) Delivered in January 2008. 
		
	
	There are a further 249 places planned in 2008 for which planning permission is being sought.
	
		
			  Building type  Capital cost per place per year of lifespan( 1)  (£) 
			 Houseblock 3,660 
			 RBRu 4,400 
			 TCM 4,300 
			 TCF 4,800 
			 (1) Published in Lord Carter's Review of Prisons: Securing the Future. RBRu—Rapid Build Residential unit. TCM—Temporary Custodial Module in a number of different layouts. TCF—Temporary Facility. 
		
	
	The cost per place for conversions is dependent on a number of factors including the nature of the existing buildings, the amount of work required and the time scale for delivery.

Prison Accommodation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) assessment he has made of, and  (b) research he has commissioned into, the relative performance of larger and smaller prisons.

David Hanson: No research has been commissioned into the relative performance of larger as opposed to smaller prisons. Latest Prison Service Performance Ratings, published in December 2007, show that the largest prisons are performing satisfactorily.

Prison Accommodation

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of new prison places that will become available for use between 25 January 2008 and  (a) 31 July 2008 and  (b) 1 December 2008; and what estimate he has made of the net number of prison places available at each date.

Jack Straw: Between 25 January 2008 and 31 July the Prison Capacity programme is planned to deliver around 1,450 places and a total of around 2,500 by the end of the year.
	Current capacity forecasts indicate that the net capacity of the prison estate will be around 83,400 at the end of July and around 84,800 by the end of December.

Prisoners Transfers: Costs

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of transferring prisoners  (a) from one prison to another and  (b) to and from court was in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Details of the costs of transferring prisoners to one prison from another in England and Wales using the inter-prison transfer contract are held by financial year and are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Cost of inter prison transfers  (£ million) 
			 2002-03 5.50 
			 2003-04 5.64 
			 2004-05 5.79 
			 2005-06 5.97 
			 2006-07 7.38 
		
	
	Since August 2004 the contracts for the escort of prisoners have included a separate payment for every prisoner journey undertaken. The payment covers vehicle and staff costs. Details of these payments for escorting prisoners to and from courts in England and Wales are available by calendar year from 2005 and are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Cost of escorting prisoners courts to and from courts   (£ million) 
			 2005 50.38 
			 2006 52.6 
			 2007 54.88 
		
	
	The figures include the cost of all prisoner journeys in the London and south-east contract area as to separate the escort of prisoners from police stations to prisons from the invoiced total could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Military Bases

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what redundant military facilities he is considering for conversion into prison accommodation.

Jack Straw: The site at the former RAF Coltishall has been identified as suitable for conversion to a prison.
	Consideration will be given to further suitable military sites as they are identified.

Probation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the provision of resources to the Probation Service in relation to its caseload.

David Hanson: Funding is allocated to local probation boards using a formula based on statistical data including population and sentencing.
	Probation boards are responsible for managing their workload in accordance with Service Level Agreements which are established in negotiation with the regional offender manager. It is the responsibility of the board to deploy resources effectively in order to meet objectives and targets.

Rape: Sentencing

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those convicted of rape in each of the last three years received  (a) a determinate prison sentence,  (b) a life sentence,  (c) an indeterminate sentence for public protection and  (d) any other disposal; and what was the average determinate sentence length and average tariff for life and indeterminate sentences.

Jack Straw: I regret that not all the requested information is available. The available information is contained in the table. In particular, due to the nature of our current administrate systems it is not possible to calculate the average custodial sentence length for life and indeterminate sentences. In the light of the hon. Member's question I have asked for further work to be done on sentencing estimates of indeterminate and life sentences.
	Figures for 2007 will be available from autumn 2008.
	
		
			  Number of persons sentenced( 1)  for rape( 2) , method of disposal and average sentence length( 3) , all courts, England and Wales, 2004-06 
			  Defendants 
			  Offence  Year  Absolute discharge  Conditional discharge  Fine  Community sentence  Fully suspended sentence  Immediate custody  Average sentence length( 3)  Life sentences( 4)  Otherwise dealt with 
			 Rape(2) 2004 2 2 — 16 — 713 85.1 62 9 
			  2005 — 1 1 32 2 746 81.8 74 12 
			  2006 1 1 — 40 — 803 81.2 202 17 
			 (1) Principal offence basis. (2) Includes rape of a male and a female. (3) Months. Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (4) Includes Indeterminate sentences for Public Protection (IPPs).  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: RDS-NOMS, Ministry of Justice 28 January 2008. Ref: PQ(RN)029-08

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Capita

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid by her Department and its predecessor to Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in each financial year since 2000; which contracts were awarded by her Department to Capita Group plc in each year since 2000-01 to the most recent available date; what the cost was of each contract; what penalties for default were imposed in contract provisions; what the length was of each contract; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short-listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what provision was made for renewal without re-tender in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Details of spend with the Capita and its subsidiaries before 2002 is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornchurch (James Brokenshire) by my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 23 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 97-8W, and to the reply given by the former hon. Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 29 January 2003,  Official Report, column 862W. These answers give some background to spend with Capita prior to 2005.
	Communities and Local Government's spend with Capita and its subsidiaries since 2005-06 is as follows;
	
		
			  Financial year  Spend (£) 
			 2005-06 2,487,330 
			 2006-07 1,173,273 
			 2007 to December 2007 508,026 
		
	
	Since April 2006 Communities and Local Government have kept central records for contracts awarded for over £20,000. Details of contracts awarded before that date can be given only at disproportionate cost. Since 2006 two contracts have been awarded to Capita Resourcing Ltd. They were for commercial and legal management support to the Housing Employment and Mobility Services project.
	Both contracts were valued at £139,065 each.
	It is departmental policy to pay suppliers in arrears and so protect funds in the event of a default. Also, contracts are awarded using contract terms and conditions that allow us to revise payments because of unsatisfactory performance.
	The contracts were and are of six months duration.
	The first contract was awarded as a single tender. The strategy adopted to award the second was to seek expressions of interest from a Cabinet Office framework agreement.
	Three companies duly submitted tenders and were considered.
	Several criteria were used for evaluating the tenders. These were;
	understanding the requirement;
	evidence of recent experience;
	methodology;
	management;
	quality of the bid; value for money.
	The contracts included options to extend for a further six months.
	The balance of spend with Capita has been on a variety of lower value contracts particularly around the storage and distribution of departmental publications. This spend was through a collaborative framework contract set up jointly with the Department for Transport in 2002 and full details of which could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Community Relations: Religion

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the regional inter-faith forums will be based on the Government Office for the Regions boundaries.

Parmjit Dhanda: Regional faith forums are independent of Government and determine their own organisational boundaries.

Community Relations: Religion

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the annual budget is for the regional inter-faith forums.

Parmjit Dhanda: Regional faith forums are independent and are not funded by central Government. We are currently consulting on where additional investment might be needed to help sustain interfaith activity.

Council Tax: Empty Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 116W, on council tax: empty property, which organisation has been commissioned to undertake the research; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the tender notice or terms of reference for the research;
	(2)  what the timetable is for the completion of the Roger Tym Partnership/Three Dragons report into council tax and empty properties.

John Healey: Roger Tym and Partners in association with Three Dragons have been appointed to undertake the research. We expect to publish the report in the spring. I have placed a copy of the specification of work on which the contract is let in the Library of the House.

Council Tax: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 540W, on council tax: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, what the maximum levy that can be charged by the authority is.

John Healey: A ceiling for the levy is determined by a formula prescribed in The Levying Bodies (General) Regulations 19921 which is adjusted annually to account for changes in the retail prices index.

Departmental Co-ordination

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many shared services are operated by her Department; and what the timetable is for the implementation of new shared services by  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government operates three shared services. It provides the internal audit services for a range of other Departments, agencies and NDPBs including DCMS and the Cabinet Office. It has a finance shared service that covers a number of other Government Departments and agencies including DFT and MOJ and provides records management and library and information services to DFT.
	As part of a programme of continuous improvement in corporate services, the Department continues to assess opportunities for driving further efficiency and effectiveness through shared services with the Government office network, agencies and NDPBs.

Departmental E-mail

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to reduce the number of hard copies of emails printed by officials in her Department.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government's policy is to reduce paper consumption by encouraging our staff to:
	only print e-mails and documents when absolutely necessary;
	introduction of new multi-functional devices (MFD's) where print software automatically defaults to duplex printing and/or print more than one page per sheet;
	use scrap or used paper in place of post it notes where practical; and
	make greater use of computer applications for reviewing and commenting on draft documents.
	This is facilitated by reducing paper filing space in our offices.
	We are also investigating options to introduce a uniform e-mail tagline reminding mail recipients to only print e-mails and other documents when necessary.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1525W, on departmental marketing, for how long display boards with the names and photographs of Ministers have been present in the foyers of her Department's two main central London buildings.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department put the display boards in place following its creation in May 2006.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what weight of paper her Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The weight of paper recycled at Communities and Local Government in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  London headquarters 
			   Tonnes 
			   Recycled paper 
			 2002-03 n/k 
			 2003-04 79 
			 2004-05 91 
			 2005-06 102 
			 n/k = not known  Notes: 1. Figures include paper, light cardboard and confidential waste but not heavy cardboard which is baled and recycled separately 2. Figures do not include data from the regional Government offices. 
		
	
	We do not hold full data for the Department's executive agencies.
	Recycling data for 2006-07 are currently being verified by the Government SD watchdog—the Sustainable Development Commission. Their 2006-07 report is due to be published in March 2008.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service: Finance

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service funding for 2008-09.

Parmjit Dhanda: During the consultation for the 2008-09 to 2010-11 Local Government Finance settlement, the Department received two representations, both from the authority, regarding funding for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority.
	Since the consultation deadline of 8 January 2008, the Department has received three further letters regarding funding for Devon and Somerset FRA, one from the authority and two from hon. Members. The main issue in all these representations relates to the changes to the funding of the firefighter pension scheme that occurred in the 2006-07 settlement.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service: Finance

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will assess the impact of the proposed grant settlement for Devon and Somerset Fire Service for 2008-09 on fire service cover and public safety in Ilfracombe.

Parmjit Dhanda: Formula Grant is an unhypothecated block grant, and authorities have no restrictions as to how they use their formula grant allocation on the services they provide.
	Fire and Rescue Authorities are required by the Fire and Rescue National Framework to have in place and maintain an Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) which reflects local need and sets out plans to tackle effectively both existing and potential risks to communities. The IRMP process is about developing local and flexible plans to manage the risks of fire and all kinds of other emergencies, based on up to date local evidence, which will provide communities with a better targeted service and improved value for money. Each authority is responsible for determining its policies and standards for prevention and intervention in the light of the risks identified.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service: Pensions

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will assess the impact of changes to fire-fighters' pensions on Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service as compared to other fire services.

Parmjit Dhanda: The new financing arrangements for firefighters' pensions were designed to counter the yearly volatility in pension expenditure and to ensure authorities' budgets reflect the cost of providing their services. The benefits should be judged over a period, not just a single year. All fire and rescue authorities have been provided with pensions top-up grant to cover deficits in their pension funds in 2006-07 and 2007-08. The deficits are expected to increase over the next three years with corresponding increases in grant.
	The New Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2006 was designed to ensure the affordability of special pension arrangements for firefighters while aiding recruitment and retention. The admission of retained firefighters, who had been excluded from the 1992 Firefighters' Pension Scheme, was designed to ensure equal treatment with regular firefighters. Although the 1992 and 2006 schemes are national, they are administered locally by fire and rescue authorities, who will interpret their application to the circumstances of individual firefighters. This makes a valid comparison between authorities difficult to achieve.

Electoral Register

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research the Audit Commission  (a) has undertaken and  (b) is planning to undertake into the accuracy of the electoral register.

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred:
	Parliamentary Question on what research the Audit Commission (a) has undertaken and (b) is planning to undertake into the accuracy of the electoral register.
	Your Parliamentary Question on what research the Audit Commission (a) has undertaken and (b) is planning to undertake into the accuracy of the electoral register has been passed to me for reply.
	The Audit Commission has not undertaken, and is not planning to undertake, any research into the accuracy of the electoral register as it does not have the powers to do so. The electoral register is available publicly, and can be challenged, which is how it is 'policed'.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Fire Services

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the business case for FireControl.

Parmjit Dhanda: The business case for the FiReControl project is a constantly evolving document. Ministers review each version of the business case before its publication and the latest version is 1.0. that was published in June 2007.
	The scale and nature of incidents that the Fire and Rescue Service is called upon to respond to has increased over recent years. Climate change, which leads to extreme weather events, and terrorism are already major threats. Planning for the future must reflect this reality: a strategy for replacing current controls is essential and has an important part to play in building resilience; doing nothing is not an option if the public is to be better protected. Accordingly, the Government have taken the lead in achieving this through a collaborative project with the Fire and Rescue Service—FiReControl.

Fire Services: Eastern Region

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the original projected cost was of the East of England regional fire control centre; and what the most recent projected cost is.

Parmjit Dhanda: The contracted annual rental for the East of England Regional Fire Control Centre is £1,349,322.00 uplifted by 2.5 per cent. inflation per year, applied every five years. This annual rental figure remains unchanged from when the contract was entered on 8 August 2005.

Fire Services: Eastern Region

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when work was originally planned to start on the East of England regional fire control centre; when she now expects work to  (a) start and  (b) finish; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Construction is in progress. I understand that the developer started work in February 2007. The target practical completion date of the building is 1 October 2008.

Fire Services: Eastern Region

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date the site of the proposed East of England Regional Fire Control Centre was purchased; from whom it was purchased; how much it cost; and where it is located.

Parmjit Dhanda: The East of England Regional Control Centre is located at Cambridge Research Park; Plot 5100, Beach Drive, Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, CB25 9AP. The site is privately owned and it has never been owned by Communities and Local Government.

Fire Services: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will compensate fire authorities under the new burdens principle for Firelink service charges.

Parmjit Dhanda: The ongoing revenue costs of the Firelink system, arising from service charges, will be funded as required under the new burdens rules.

Fire Services: Pensions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firefighters retired through ill health and were entitled to ill health retirement and a pension in each of the 10 years prior to the 2004 amendment to the Firefighters Pension Scheme; and how many were entitled in each subsequent year.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following are the figures for retirements of whole-time firefighters in England and Wales for 1993 to 2004-05; and England only for 2005-06:
	
		
			   Ill-health retirements  All retirement 
			 1993 834 1,122 
			 1994 854 1,124 
			 1995 762 1,061 
			 1996 723 1,041 
			 1997 736 1,180 
			 1998-99 655 1,106 
			 1999-2000 704 1,107 
			 2000-01 715 1,090 
			 2001-02 683 1,051 
			 2002-03 637 1,356 
			 2003-04 589 1,106 
			 2004-05 343 1,385 
			 2005-06 287 1,334 
			  Source:  HMFSI annual reports and annual returns to DCLG

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who is responsible for auditing the expenditure  (a) in the six area trial for home information packs (HIPs) and  (b) the funding for the energy performance certificates to be included in HIPs ordered prior to 1 August.

Caroline Flint: The Department's programmes and systems are subject to periodical audit by its internal audit service and the National Audit Office.

Home Information Packs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the use of home information packs by estate agents in England since inception.

Caroline Flint: Our monitoring arrangements do not capture specific data on the use made of home information packs by estate agents. However, the Department's HIPs regional coordinators visit approximately 70 estate agents a week across England and Wales to listen to feedback and gather information.

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the deadlines are for marketing homes without a home information pack, in relation to  (a) four or more bedroom homes,  (b) three bedroom homes and  (c) all other homes.

Caroline Flint: Home Information Packs were introduced for homes with four or more bedrooms from 1 August 2007, for three-bedroom properties from 10 September 2007 and for all remaining residential properties from 14 December 2007. No date has yet been set when those properties marketed before the relevant commencement dates are required to have a Home Information Pack.

Home Information Packs: Floods

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration has been given to requiring the inclusion of information on risk of flooding in home information packs.

Caroline Flint: Searches relating to the risk of flooding are authorised documents for inclusion in the home information pack. The mandatory inclusion of these searches in the home information pack is one of a number of measures being considered as part of the reform of the home buying and selling process.
	Information on flood risk for a particular postcode is available free of charge on the Environment Agency website for any member of the public to access.

Home Information Packs: Pilot Schemes

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to receive the results of the Ipsos MORI independent evaluation of the home information pack trial.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 652W.

Homes and Communities Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what ability the proposed new Homes and Communities Agency will have to make decisions on  (a) housing and  (b) planning over and above the decision-making process of local authorities.

Caroline Flint: Clause 13 of the Housing and Regeneration Bill allows the Secretary of State to designate an area as suitable for development where one of two conditions are met. Where an area is designated planning functions may be conferred upon the Homes and Communities Agency.
	The power to designate an area and confer planning functions on a specially created body is not new. The power in clause 13 is based on the provisions in the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 in relation to the Urban Regeneration Agency (URA).
	As in the case of the URA, the Homes and Communities Agency will not have any planning powers as of right. Any planning powers that are conferred on it must be set out in the order designating the area of land over which it is to be the local planning authority and will need to be exercised within the existing planning regime. The order is made by the Secretary of State and is subject to the negative resolution procedure.

Housing: Competition

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to increase competition in the market for property purchase local searches.

Caroline Flint: The Department published guidance on 18 January: 'Personal searches of the local land charges register and other records held by local authorities—Good practice guidance for local authorities and personal searchers'; and the consultation paper 'Local Authority Property Search Services: Charges for Property Search Services—A consultation paper'. The consultation period ends on 18 April.
	Together these two documents aim to deliver the level playing field that the Office of Fair Trading identified as being necessary to increase competition in the provision of property searches.

Housing: Inspections

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of qualified  (a) home inspectors and  (b) domestic energy assessors in (i) Rochford and Southend, East constituency, (ii) England and (iii) Wales.

Caroline Flint: The most recent published data as at 29 November 2007 provides the following information on the number of accredited home inspectors and domestic energy assessors in Rochford and Southend, East constituency, England and Wales.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Southend, East 8 
			 England 5,314 
			 Wales 333

Housing: Local Government Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of  (a) right-to-buy receipts,  (b) transfer receipts and  (c) other housing receipts were (i) paid to the Department and (ii) retained by local authorities in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: Under the 'set-aside' regime, which ran until 1 April 2004, with-debt local authorities were required to set aside a proportion of the capital receipt generated by the disposal of a Housing Revenue Account (HRA) asset, for repayment of housing debt. For right to buy that proportion was 75 per cent. For stock-transfer receipts the set-aside was also 75 per cent. unless the value of the housing debt exceeded 75 per cent. in which case the amount to be set aside was raised until it met the value of the debt. For other, non-dwelling sales, the proportion of set-aside was 50 per cent. The local authority was free to use the remaining 25-50 per cent. respectively for any capital purpose they chose.
	The Department recorded the value of capital receipts set-aside but no differentiation was made between RTB sales, transfer receipts and other disposals of housing assets which generated a capital receipt.
	The gross value of right to buy capital receipts and the gross value of transfer receipts were collected as separate exercises—though the value of set-aside resulting from these receipts cannot be separately identified.
	The following table shows the gross receipts from Large Scale Voluntary Transfers (LSVT) of local authority housing from 1997-98 to date, the gross value of right to buy receipts generated by disposals in both with-debt and debt-free authorities from 1997-98, the value of capital receipts set-aside from 1997-98 to 2002-03 and the value of pooled capital receipts for 2004-05 to 2006-07.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Transfer receipts  Total RTB receipts  Set-aside/pooled capital receipts 
			 1997-98 259.67 890 943 
			 1998-99 483.94 911 1,085 
			 1999-2000 658.67 1,374 1,477 
			 2000-01 830.20 1,426 1,626 
			 2001-02 377.73 1,566 1,382 
			 2002-03 545.87 2,210 1,626 
			 2003-04 140.83 2,936 No data 
			 2004-05 200.40 2,575 1,694 
			 2005-06 128.53 1,544 1,067 
			 2006-07 91.98 1,145 843 
			 2007-08 to date 156.86 No data No data 
			  Note:  The Department does not collect data on the level of debt actually repaid using transfer receipts. This is a treasury management decision for the local authority. The only data collected on transfer receipts is their total value. No data on set-aside was collected for 2003-04 as a result of the transition to the pooling regime which was introduced in 2004-05. The Department does not collect data on the value of receipts retained by local authorities.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the equivalent notional APR is of interest charged to a HomeBuyer under the 32.5 per cent. open market HomeBuy scheme when they sell their property and are obliged to share any increase in property value with the HomeBuy Agency and Yorkshire Building Society, assuming annual property price inflation over the period of the loan of  (a) 4 per cent.,  (b) 8 per cent. and  (c) 12 per cent.

Caroline Flint: Under the open market HomeBuy product offered in partnership with Yorkshire Building Society, which offers equity loans of up to 32.5 per cent. of the purchase price, buyers repay their equity loans to the HomeBuy Agent and the Yorkshire Building Society on resale of the property at the rate at which their home has increased in value. Assuming annual property price inflation over the period of the loan of  (a) 4 per cent.,  (b) 8 per cent. and  (c) 12 per cent. the equivalent notional APR of interest charged on the equity loans on resale of the property will be 4 per cent., 8 per cent. or 12 per cent. respectively.

Housing: Low Incomes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the role of HomeBuy agents in marketing housing schemes for first time buyers.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply he was given on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 148W.

Housing: Low Incomes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many completed social HomeBuy sales there have been to date among  (a) housing associations and  (b) local authorities.

Caroline Flint: In April 2006 four social landlords began piloting Social HomeBuy on a voluntary basis. The Social HomeBuy scheme allows participating local authorities and housing associations to offer tenants living in social rented accommodation the opportunity to purchase discounted shares of their home starting with an initial share of 25 per cent. The scheme will continue to increase opportunities for social housing tenants to access homeownership.
	The majority of the 138 sales to end December 2007 have come from completions with the first phase of participating landlords, most of whom joined in late 2006. 135 sales were from housing associations and three were from local authorities. Since April 2007 a second phase of landlords have joined the scheme and are now offering Social HomeBuy to their tenants. As with normal home purchases it can take several months to reach completion.

Housing: Planning

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role regional Ministers will play in deciding applications for housing growth points; who will make the final decision on such applications; and when each decision will be made.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 Regional Ministers do not have a specific role in the consideration of expressions of interest for growth points. Following consultation with other Government Departments, agencies and regional bodies, Communities and Local Government Ministers intend to make a final decision on the selected schemes shortly. However, all growth point expressions of interest will be subject to testing through the planning system.

Housing: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government under the proposed changes to the Planning Policy Statement on Climate Change whether a demonstration that reaching the target of sourcing 10 per cent. of energy from on-site renewable sources was unachievable would be required before energy provision from off-site renewable sources would be taken into account in planning decisions.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 22 November  2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him today to PQ 165247.

Housing: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's definition is of off-site in relation to the provision of energy from renewable sources for new developments; and whether this definition is the same as that used in the Code for Sustainable Buildings.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 22 November 2007
	The Code for Sustainable Homes technical guidance (available on the Department's website) sets out the definition of zero carbon for the purposes of the code and makes clear that off-site renewable contributions can only be used where these are directly supplied to the dwellings by private wire arrangement. This is in line with the general policy set out in "Building a Greener Future" policy document (available from the Department's website). As set out in "Building a Greener Future" as new evidence emerges about the cost and practicalities, and as technologies develop, we will develop the definition of zero carbon for the purposes of building regulations, after full consultation and within a sensible time frame that will allow the industry to adjust before the planned changes in 2016.

Housing: Sales

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the administration budget was for  (a) Social HomeBuy,  (b) New Build HomeBuy,  (c) Open Market HomeBuy and  (d) the First Time Buyers Initiative in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the marketing budget was for  (a) Social HomeBuy,  (b) New Build HomeBuy,  (c) Open Market HomeBuy and  (d) the First Time Buyers Initiative in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: The HomeBuy schemes, including the First Time Buyers Initiative, commenced on 1 April 2006. Funding arrangements for the marketing and administration costs vary depending on the HomeBuy product and are not separately identifiable.
	The network of 23 HomeBuy agents provide a 'one-stop-shop' for HomeBuy applicants and handle the application process for  (c) open market HomeBuy and  (b) new build HomeBuy, including  (d) the First Time Buyers Initiative. HomeBuy agents are responsible for raising general awareness of the various low cost home ownership products and make use of appropriate marketing techniques to achieve this.
	HomeBuy agents are contracted to market and administer the open market HomeBuy programme, but not for the marketing of individual homes, which are purchased on the open market. For each open market HomeBuy completion, an allowance is paid to the HomeBuy agents, to cover administration and marketing costs. From April 2007, this allowance has been £3,300 per completion. The same completion fee is also funded by English Partnerships to HomeBuy agents for homes sold under the First Time Buyers Initiative.
	There is no separate administration budget for new build HomeBuy: housing associations bidding for new build HomeBuy projects factor in these costs as part of their total scheme costs when bidding to the Housing Corporation for a proportion of the total costs to be funded by social housing grant.
	Housing association and local authority landlords participating in  (a) the pilot social HomeBuy scheme meet the costs of marketing and administration from the sale proceeds.
	For new build HomeBuy and social HomeBuy, housing associations deduct an administrative allowance to cover their legal and administration costs from the sales receipt on completion of sale, or on the sale of further shares. Details of the administrative allowances are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Property disposal deductible administrative allowances 
			   £ 
			 Sale of further shares (houses and flats) 449 
			 Social HomeBuy initial sale (house) 701 
			 Social HomeBuy initial sale (flat) 1,576 
		
	
	The administration costs incurred by English Partnerships, the Housing Corporation and Communities and Local Government for the HomeBuy and First Time Buyers Initiative form part of the overall costs for the policy and delivery of affordable housing.

Local Government: Consent Regimes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the consent regimes for local authorities that are overseen by the government offices for the regions.  [Official Report, 29 April 2008, Vol. 475, c. 3MC.]

Parmjit Dhanda: The consent regimes for local authorities that are currently overseen by the government offices for the Regions are:
	Listed Building Consents (Local Planning Authority's (LPA) own applications)
	Conservation Area Consents
	Less-than-best Price Disposals
	Allotments Disposals
	LPA Tree Preservation Order Consents
	Whilst not strictly LPA consent cases, the Government Office network also discharges the respective Secretaries of State's statutory functions in respect of the following matters:
	Private Listed Building Notifications
	Redundant Churches
	Redemption of Rent Charges
	Crown Developments
	EIAs
	Tree Preservation Orders (the Planning Inspectorate will deal with these from 1 April 2008)
	Definitive map appeals and directions:
	Traffic Regulation Orders
	Article 4 Directions
	Notification of LPA opposed proposals by English Partnerships
	Completion Notices
	Modification Orders
	Revocation Orders
	Discontinuance Orders
	1938 Green Belt Act
	Road Signage
	Cycle Track Orders
	Road Reclassifications.

Non-domestic Rates

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether transitional relief will be applied to the rates levied through  (a) supplementary business rates and  (b) business improvement districts (i) at and (ii) following the 2010 business rates revaluation.

John Healey: Although decisions have yet to be taken on many aspects of the transitional relief scheme for the 2010 revaluation, there are no plans to change the arrangement which excludes from the current transitional relief scheme amounts payable through BID levies. Also, 'Business rate supplements: a White Paper' makes clear that transitional relief will not be applied to supplements.

Parish Councils: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 553W, on parish councils: finance, what the estimated average precept is that will need to be levied by a parish council in London in the first 12 months after establishment.

John Healey: It will be for the relevant London borough, when carrying out a community governance review, to estimate the first precept to any new parish council. In subsequent years the precept is a matter for the individual parish councils.
	Government have not made estimates of the precepts set by parish councils. Government expects parish councils to budget prudently and to take into account the views of local people on how their money should be spent.

Planning Permission: Floods

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued to planning inspectors on the account to be taken of flood risk in planning appeals in the last six months.

Caroline Flint: Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 25, published in December 2006, sets out the Government's policy on development and flood risk. It aims to ensure that flood risk is taken into account at all stages of the planning process, to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding and to direct development away from areas at highest risk.
	Planning Inspectors are aware of the heightened importance of flood risk management and apply the policies in PPS25 and related Government documents to relevant appeal cases. The Inspectorate has measures in place to alert Inspectors to new information relating to development and flood risk.

Planning Permission: Opencast Mining

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes have been made to mineral planning guidance on opencast coal mining since 1997.

Iain Wright: There have been a number of changes. The most significant is in paragraph 8 of Minerals Planning Guidance 3, which establishes a presumption against coal extraction unless a proposal can meet one of two tests. The tests are:
	1. Is the proposal environmentally acceptable, or can it be made so by planning conditions or obligations?
	2. If not, does it provide local or community benefits which clearly outweigh the likely impacts to justify the grant of planning permission?

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether under proposed changes to the Merton Rule in the new Planning Policy Statement on Climate Change, the developer would have to demonstrate that they could not achieve the 10 per cent. target on-site before the new proposed off-site rule applied; and what definitions her Department uses of off-site in these circumstances.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 19 November 2007
	The new planning policy statement (PPS) on climate change will boost the use of local renewable and low carbon energy in new development. The PPS sets out our 'Merton-Plus' approach. This (like existing Merton rules) expects a council-wide target and, additionally, tailored targets for sites where there is greater potential for using decentralised energy to supply new development. These targets should be flexible enough to consider community schemes (for example, wind turbines or CHP schemes serving more than one site) as well as building specific technologies. When there are clear carbon savings to be had from local energy sources, they should not be subject to a requirement for on-site options to be tested before they can be considered.
	Explanations of the terms used in the PPS are set out in its glossary. This makes it clear that decentralised energy is energy supplied from "local renewable and local low-carbon sources (i.e. on-site and near-site, but not remote off-site)".

Regional Planning and Development: Finance

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the additional infrastructure support funding announced on 5 December 2007 will be allocated to  (a) designated new growth points and  (b) growth areas.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 11 December 2007
	Out of the £732 million for the growth fund, to support the delivery of infrastructure in the growth areas and the growth points announced in the written ministerial statement of 4 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 53-54WS, 224m has been allocated in 2008-09, with indicative awards of £336 million for 2009-10 and 2010-11. A further allocation of around £172 million for 2009-10 and 2010-11 will be made once we have consulted the growth authorities and other stakeholders and reviewed the new approach to funding. A breakdown of the allocations to the growth areas and the growth points has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Simplification Plan

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has produced a simplification plan.

Parmjit Dhanda: This Department first published a simplification plan in December 2006. A further update was published on 11 December 2007 and is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/simplificationplan2007.

Tattooing: Licensing

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what account is taken of the competency of the practitioner in local authority licensing of the providers of tattoos and body piercing;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of local authority regimes for the licensing of tattooing or skin piercing premises, with particular regard to the revocation of licences held by businesses that have closed;
	(3)  how many licenses for tattooing or skin premises have been revoked by a local authority in each year between 2000 and 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, as amended by the Local Government Act 2003, gives local authorities (LAs) powers to require tattooing and cosmetic piercing businesses in their area to register and observe byelaws on hygiene and cleanliness. It is an offence for such a business to trade without being registered with the LA or to breach local byelaws.
	LAs in London generally use the London Local Authorities Act 1991 (private legislation) which provides for a licensing scheme for businesses providing special treatments such as tattooing and cosmetic piercing. It is an offence to trade without being licensed or to breach licence conditions.
	LAs also have general enforcement powers under health and safety at work legislation. This allows LAs to use improvement and prohibition notices, and ultimately prosecute tattooing and piercing businesses, if appropriate. This would include where there are concerns about a practitioner's competency. Under the licensing regime that exists in London, LAs may refuse a licence on grounds relating to a person's competency.
	Information on the local regulation of tattooing and cosmetic piercing businesses by LAs is not collected centrally. However, we keep the legislation under review, taking account, for example, of any feedback from stakeholders such as LAs and their associations.

Thames Gateway

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which  (a) public authorities,  (b) public corporations and  (c) partnership bodies are involved in the Thames Gateway development.

Caroline Flint: The public and partnership bodies involved in the Thames Gateway are set out as follows.
	 Public authorities
	 Local authorities
	 London
	London Borough of Lewisham
	London Borough of Greenwich
	London Borough of Bexley
	London Borough of Tower Hamlets
	London Borough of Newham
	London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
	London Borough of Havering
	 Essex
	Thurrock Borough Council
	Castle Point Borough Council
	Basildon Council
	Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
	Rochford District Council
	Essex County Council
	 Kent
	Dartford Borough Council
	Gravesham Borough Council
	Kent County Council
	Medway Council
	Swale Borough Council
	 Regional authorities
	Greater London Authority
	 Regional assemblies
	East of England Regional Assembly
	South East England Regional Assembly
	 Government offices
	Government Office for London
	Government Office for the South East of England
	Government Office for the East of England
	 Public corporations
	No public corporations are involved in delivering the Thames Gateway
	 Partnership bodies
	 Local regeneration partnerships
	 London
	Woolwich Regeneration Agency
	London Thames Gateway Development Corporation
	Invest Bexley
	 Essex
	Basildon Renaissance
	Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation
	Renaissance Southend
	 Kent
	Medway Renaissance
	Swale Forward
	Kent Thameside
	 Sub-regional partnerships
	Thames Gateway London Partnership
	Thames Gateway Kent Partnership
	Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership
	 Regional development agencies
	London Development Agency
	South East England Development Agency
	East of England Development Agency
	 Other public bodies
	Environment Agency
	Learning and Skills Council
	CABE
	English Partnerships
	English Heritage
	Housing Corporation
	Natural England
	Higher Education Funding Council for England

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers local planning authorities will have over the selection and approval of eco-town development sites.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 29 November 2007
	Where a planning application for an eco-town is submitted, it will be determined in the normal way under the Planning Acts. Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that the application is determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. As set out in the eco-towns prospectus, there may be circumstances where use of the New Towns Act powers might be used.
	In addition, before taking a final decision on the selection of an eco-town scheme for Government support, we will consult local authorities for the relevant area covered by the scheme.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes must be provided for in each eco-town bid.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Welwyn, Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1537W.

Veolia Environmental Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what private finance initiative contracts her Department and its predecessor authorised with  (a) Veolia Environmental Services and  (b) Onyx.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department and its predecessor have not authorised any private finance initiative contracts with Veolia Environmental Services or Onyx.

Veolia Environmental Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings  (a) civil servants and  (b) Ministers in her Department have had with  (a) Veolia Environmental Services and  (b) Onyx in the last 24 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not the usual practice of Government to disclose details of such meetings.

Working Neighbourhoods Fund

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the local authority eligibility criteria are for working neighbourhood funding.

John Healey: Three criteria were used to determine eligibility for the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF):
	Any authority that has 20 per cent. or more of its lower super output areas (LSOAs) in the most deprived decile on the employment domain; or
	Any authority that has 20 per cent. or more of its lower super output areas (LSOAs) in the most deprived decile on the overall IMD; or
	Any local authority that is ranked among the top 40 districts on an equally weighted measure of key benefit claim rate and employment rate.
	Authorities were only required to meet one of the above criteria to qualify.

Working Neighbourhoods Fund

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities which were in receipt of neighbourhood renewal funding will not receive working neighbourhood funding.

John Healey: 21 authorities which received neighbourhood renewal funding from 2006-2008 have not qualified for working neighbourhoods fund. These authorities are listed:
	Barnet
	Brighton and Hove
	Bristol
	Coventry
	Croydon
	Derby
	Dudley
	Ealing
	Enfield
	Hammersmith and Fulham
	Kirklees
	Leeds
	Lewisham
	Mansfield
	North Tyneside
	Norwich
	Penwith
	Plymouth
	Rotherham
	Wakefield
	Waltham Forest.

Working Neighbourhoods Fund: South-West Region

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authority areas are eligible for the Working Neighbourhood Fund in the South West region.

John Healey: There were three criteria used to determine eligibility for the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF). These were:
	Any authority that has 20 per cent. or more of its lower super output areas (LSOAs) in the most deprived decile on the Employment domain; or
	Any authority that has 20 per cent. or more of its lower super output areas (LSOAs) in the most deprived decile on the overall IMD; or
	Any local authority that is ranked among the top 40 districts on an equally weighted measure of key benefit claim rate and employment rate.
	Local authorities were only required to meet one of the above criteria to qualify. One authority in the South West meets the criteria; West Somerset which qualifies on the basis of the third criteria.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Lancashire

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the transfer of blue light accident and emergency from Burnley General to Blackburn Royal Infirmary on 1 November 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the national health service locally, working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders. The East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, East Lancashire primary care trust and the North West Ambulance Service are continuing to monitor the effectiveness of the transfer throughout the implementation process.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust: Magnetic Resonance Imagers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many MRI scanners there are in the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust; and how this level of provision compares to that in other NHS trust areas in Greater London.

Ann Keen: We are informed by Barking, Havering and Redbridge National Health Service Trust that they currently have three Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners, two at the Queen's Hospital, Romford and one at King George's Hospital, Ilford.
	The Department does not collect information centrally on comparisons of the level of provision available both locally or nationally. It is for primary care trusts, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their equipment and funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health.

Benzodiazepines

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons benzodiazepines are not included in the treatment outcomes profile monitoring questionnaire.

Dawn Primarolo: The treatment outcomes profile (TOP), a treatment outcomes monitoring instrument is used at the start, during and after substance misuse treatment, and is reported through the national drug treatment monitoring system. TOP comprises of a series of questions, asked by the key worker and answered by the client about the nature and extent of the client's substance use, crime, health and social functioning, in order to measure outcomes in a meaningful way that is sensitive to change over time.
	TOP went through a rigorous development process and all items on the TOP form had to meet stringent methodological and statistical criteria to be included on the final form. Drug treatment service users who took part in testing the TOP found it difficult to accurately and consistently remember and report the amount and frequency of their benzodiazepine use so the question did not validate and is no longer included. However, benzodiazepine use can be recorded on the TOP form as an "other problem substance" for clinical purposes and should always be included in comprehensive assessments and the resulting care plans.
	The Department, along with the National Treatment Agency for substance misuse are involved in other work to ensure that benzodiazepine use among illegal or illicit drug misusers is addressed effectively in a clinical setting. Importantly, 'Drug Misuse and Dependence—UK guidelines on clinical management' (the 'Clinical Guidelines') gives guidance for clinicians on treating drug misusing patients who also may misuse benzodiazepines. The guidance is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Substancemisuse/index.htm

Breast Cancer: Screening

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage more women to accept their breast screening appointment invitations.

Ann Keen: As part of the promotion of breast awareness, women are encouraged to accept their breast screening invitations. However, like other screening tests, mammography is not perfect and all women invited to participate in the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme need to understand the potential benefits and harm in doing so and to be able to make an informed choice about whether or not they wish to participate.
	To enable an informed choice to be made, all breast screening invitations include a national information leaflet, "Breast Screening: The Facts". Over two million copies of this leaflet are printed each year and it can be viewed at NHS Cancer Screening Programmes website at:
	www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/breastscreen/publications/nhsbsp-the-facts-english-2007.pdf
	along with other related publications.
	Language and access to acceptable and meaningful information can prevent some women from taking up their invitation for screening. This is why "Breast Screening: The Facts" has been translated into 18 languages.
	We know that there are specific groups of women who are less likely to attend for screening, for example, women from some minority ethnic groups and women in inner-city areas and in December 2003, NHS Cancer Screening Programmes published "Inequalities of Access to Cancer Screening: A Literature Review" to address this. The recommendations in this review have been sent to all local screening programmes and a number of local actions have been put into place to combat inequalities.
	This year is the 20(th) anniversary of the NHS Breast Screening Programme and there will be a number of event's across the country to mark the anniversary which, in part, will be used to educate and inform the public about breast screening and screening in general.
	To assist the NHS Breast Screening Programme in raising awareness about the availability of breast cancer screening, NHS Cancer Screening Programmes issued a regional communications pack to all local breast screening programmes in 2004, which includes advice on raising the awareness of breast screening. The recently published Cancer Reform Strategy, which sets out the future direction of cancer services in England, noted the need for primary care trust commissioners to develop local targeted programmes to increase the uptake of breast screening invites.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of women entitled to screening attended their appointment for breast cancer screening in each of the last three years, broken down by primary care trust.

Ann Keen: The following tables give coverage data for breast screening for each of the last three years by primary care trust (PCT).
	
		
			  Breast screening programme: coverage of women (less than 3 years since last test)( 1)  aged 53-64 by primary care organisation at  2003-04 to 2005-06 
			 2003-04 
			 Eligible population( 2)  Number of women screened  Coverage (less than 3 years since last test) ( percentage ) 
			   England 3,538,224 2,651,122 74.9 
			   
			 Q30  North East SHA 183,483 135,110 73.6 
			  5D7 Newcastle PCT 15,265 10,801 70.8 
			  5D8 North Tyneside PCT 14,546 11,025 75.8 
			  5D9 Hartlepool PCT 6,224 4,739 76.1 
			  5E1 North Tees PCT 12,538 8,929 71.2 
			  5J9 Darlington PCT 7,099 5,416 76.3 
			  5KF Gateshead PCT 14,384 11,553 80.3 
			  5KG South Tyneside PCT 10,468 8,422 80.5 
			  5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 19,474 14,135 72.6 
			  5KM Middlesbrough PCT 8,778 4,046 46.1 
			  5ND County Durham PCT 38,377 28,226 73.5 
			  5QR Redcar and Cleveland PCT 10,585 6,658 62.9 
			  TAC Northumberland Care Trust 25,745 21,160 82.2 
			   
			 Q31  North West SHA 493,915 373,894 75.7 
			  5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT 9,443 7,059 74.8 
			  5F5 Salford PCT 14,494 10,596 73.1 
			  5F7 Stockport PCT 20,949 14,892 71.1 
			  5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 23,428 18,374 78.4 
			  5HP Blackpool PCT 11,024 8,287 75.2 
			  5HQ Bolton PCT 19,172 14,958 78.0 
			  5J2 Warrington PCT 13,935 10,958 78.6 
			  5J4 Knowsley PCT 9,632 6,825 70.9 
			  5J5 Oldham PCT 15,544 9,532 61.3 
			  5JX Bury PCT 13,346 10,691 80.1 
			  5LH Tameside and Glossop PCT 16,191 12,369 76.4 
			  5NE Cumbria PCT 39,105 32,037 81.9 
			  5NF North Lancashire PCT 26,606 21,604 81.2 
			  5NG Central Lancashire PCT 32,865 24,630 74.9 
			  5NH East Lancashire PCT 26,527 20,187 76.1 
			  5NJ Sefton PCT 20,460 14,833 72.5 
			  5NK Wirral PCT 24,083 19,560 81.2 
			  5NL Liverpool PCT 28,312 19,367 68.4 
			  5NM Halton and St Helens PCT 22,834 17,572 77.0 
			  5NN Western Cheshire PCT 18,710 15,012 80.2 
			  5NP Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 34,949 28,811 82.4 
			  5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 13,875 10,543 76.0 
			  5NR Trafford PCT 15,019 10,024 66.7 
			  5NT Manchester PCT 23,412 15,173 64.8 
			   
			 Q32  Yorkshire  and  the Humber SHA 359,025 274,912 76.6 
			  5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 11,847 9,445 79.7 
			  5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 12,407 9,262 74.7 
			  5H8 Rotherham PCT 18,014 14,238 79.0 
			  5J6 Calderdale PCT 14,248 11,020 77.3 
			  5JE Barnsley PCT 16,941 13,534 79.9 
			  5N1 Leeds PCT 46,686 33,841 72.5 
			  5N2 Kirklees PCT 26,496 20,546 77.5 
			  5N3 Wakefield District PCT 24,362 17,923 73.6 
			  5N4 Sheffield PCT 34,731 27,711 79.8 
			  5N5 Doncaster PCT 21,121 15,172 71.8 
			  5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 59,837 49,682 83.0 
			  5NW East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 25,633 17,849 69.6 
			  5NX Hull Teaching PCT 17,197 12,554 73.0 
			  5NY Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 29,505 22,135 75.0 
			   
			 Q33  East Midlands SHA 309,113 246,408 79.7 
			  5EM Nottingham City PCT 14,988 10,337 69.0 
			  5ET Bassetlaw PCT 8,433 6,099.0 72.3 
			  5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 53,169 44,189 83.1 
			  5N7 Derby City PCT 17,969 14,748 82.1 
			  5N8 Nottinghamshire County PCT 48,388 39,719 82.1 
			  5N9 Lincolnshire PCT 56,833 43,660 76.8 
			  5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 47,708 40,077 84.0 
			  5PC Leicester City PCT 16,615 12,181 73.3 
			  5PD Northamptonshire PCT 45,010 35,398 78.6 
			   
			 Q34  West Midlands SHA 382,130 295,921 77.4 
			  5CN Herefordshire PCT 13,877 11,616 83.7 
			  5M1 South Birmingham PCT 21,564 16,348 75.8 
			  5M2 Shropshire County PCT 23,521 18,530.0 79 
			  5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 17,593 13,414 76.2 
			  5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 20,055 15,461 77.1 
			  5MK Telford and Wrekin PCT 11,379 9,158 80.5 
			  5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 15,060 10,380 68.9 
			  5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 11,155 7,185 64.4 
			  5PE Dudley PCT 23,013 17,558 76.3 
			  5PF Sandwell PCT 19,632 14,437 73.5 
			  5PG Birmingham East and North PCT 25,967 19,496 75.1 
			  5PH North Staffordshire PCT 16,322 12,902 79.0 
			  5PJ Stoke on Trent PCT 18,179 13,712 75.4 
			  5PK South Staffordshire PCT 46,029 35,493 77.1 
			  5PL Worcestershire PCT 43,191 35,235 81.6 
			  5PM Warwickshire PCT 39,437 32,437 82.3 
			  TAM Solihull Care Trust 16,156 12,559 77.7 
			   
			 Q35  East of England SHA 406,249 319,732 78.7 
			  5GC Luton Teaching PCT 10,137 7,848 77.4 
			  5P1 South East Essex PCT 26,542 18,454 69.5 
			  5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 28,078 22,436 79.9 
			  5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 37,147 29,098.0 78.3 
			  5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 36,249 27,552 76.0 
			  5PN Peterborough PCT 10,066 8,070 80.2 
			  5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 40,168 31,939 79.5 
			  5PQ Norfolk PCT 57,239 46,080 80.5 
			  5PR Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching PCT 18,219 14,655 80.4 
			  5PT Suffolk PCT 44,905 36,901 82.2 
			  5PV West Essex PCT 18,902 14,890 78.8 
			  5PW North East Essex PCT 23,847 19,182 80.4 
			  5PX Mid Essex PCT 26,730 21,836 81.7 
			  5PY South West Essex PCT 28,021 20,791 74.2 
			   
			 Q36  London SHA 424,770 270,964 63.8 
			  5A4 Havering PCT 17,704 14,112 79.7 
			  5A5 Kingston PCT 9,861 6,929 70.3 
			  5A7 Bromley PCT 22,119 16,866 76.3 
			  5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 12,717 8,734 68.7 
			  5A9 Barnet PCT 20,515 13,760 67.1 
			  5AT Hillingdon PCT 15,042 9,696 64.5 
			  5C1 Enfield PCT 17,015 12,169 71.5 
			  5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 8,506 5,970 70.2 
			  5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 10,161 5,583 54.9 
			  5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 7,671 4,205 54.8 
			  5C5 Newham PCT 11,960 6,181 51.7 
			  5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 12,256 7,726 63.0 
			  5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 8,677 3,723 42.9 
			  5HX Ealing PCT 18,291 10,440 57.1 
			  5HY Hounslow PCT 13,249 7,465 56.3 
			  5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 16,096 8,996 55.9 
			  5K6 Harrow PCT 14,212 9,768 68.7 
			  5K7 Camden PCT 10,817 5,523 51.1 
			  5K8 Islington PCT 9,490 5,534 58.3 
			  5K9 Croydon PCT 20,670 13,764 66.6 
			  5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 10,014 5,130 51.2 
			  5LC Westminster PCT 10,967 4,718 43.0 
			  5LD Lambeth PCT 13,124 7,837 59.7 
			  5LE Southwark PCT 11,353 7,014 61.8 
			  5LF Lewisham PCT 12,926 8,353 64.6 
			  5LG Wandsworth PCT 13,543 8,229 60.8 
			  5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 12,035 7,753 64.4 
			  5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 21,831 15,020 68.8 
			  5NA Redbridge PCT 14,353 8,621 60.1 
			  5NC Waltham Forest PCT 12,739 9,391 73.7 
			  TAK Bexley Care Trust 14,856 11,754 79.1 
			   
			 Q37  South East Coast SHA 313,740 236,513 75.4 
			  5L3 Medway PCT 18,381 13,361 72.7 
			  5LQ Brighton and Hove City PCT 14,952 11,580 77.4 
			  5P5 Surrey PCT 77,400 57,295 74.0 
			  5P6 West Sussex PCT 59,402 43,301 72.9 
			  5P7 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 26,525 21,766 82.1 
			  5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT 13,971 11,341 81.2 
			  5P9 West Kent PCT 48,797 38,188 78.3 
			  5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 54,312 39,681 73.1 
			   
			 Q38  South Central SHA 274,076 217,056 79.2 
			  5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 13,839 11,082 80.1 
			  5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 10,423 7,649 73.4 
			  5L1 Southampton City PCT 13,710 10,242 74.7 
			  5QC Hampshire PCT 94,655 73,751 77.9 
			  5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 35,841 30,051 83.8 
			  5QE Oxfordshire PCT 40,917 32,953 80.5 
			  5QF Berkshire West PCT 29,653 23,656 79.8 
			  5QG Berkshire East PCT 22,996 18,198 79.1 
			  5QT Isle of Wight PCT 12,042 9,474 78.7 
			   
			 Q39  South West SHA 391,722 280,611 71.6 
			  5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 17,055 10,982 64.4 
			  5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 17,546 13,565 77.3 
			  5FL Bath and North East Somerset PCT 12,705 7,529 59.3 
			  5K3 Swindon PCT 11,789 9,181 77.9 
			  5M8 North Somerset PCT 16,302 12,319 75.6 
			  5QH Gloucestershire PCT 43,183 34,975 81.0 
			  5QJ Bristol PCT 24,345 18,235 74.9 
			  5QK Wiltshire PCT 33,183 26,563 80.1 
			  5QL Somerset PCT 41,112 33,296 81.0 
			  5QM Dorset PCT 33,329 26,662 80.0 
			  5QN Bournemouth and Poole PCT 23,709 18,223 76.9 
			  5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 45,376 27,884 61.5 
			  5QQ Devon PCT 60,366 37,981 62.9 
			  TAL Torbay Care Trust 11,722 3,216 27.4 
		
	
	
		
			 2004-05 
			 Eligible population( 2)  Number of women screened  Coverage (less than 3 years since last test) ( percentage ) 
			   England 3,574,534 2,697,665 75.5 
			   
			 Q30  North East SHA 185,454 141,025 76.0 
			  5D7 Newcastle PCT 14,896 11,093 74.5 
			  5D8 North Tyneside PCT 14,976 11,331 75.7 
			  5D9 Hartlepool PCT 6,294 3,449 54.8 
			  5E1 North Tees PCT 12,737 10,205 80.1 
			  5J9 Darlington PCT 7,218 4,215 58.4 
			  5KF Gateshead PCT 14,412 11,650 80.8 
			  5KG South Tyneside PCT 10,535 8,520 80.9 
			  5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 19,667 15,921 81.0 
			  5KM Middlesbrough PCT 8,847 6,114 69.1 
			  5ND County Durham PCT 38,918 30,114 77.4 
			  5QR Redcar and Cleveland PCT 10,624 8,250 77.6 
			  TAC Northumberland Care Trust 26,330 20,163 76.6 
			   
			 Q31  North West SHA 497,861 376,263 75.6 
			  5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT 9,600 6,753 70.3 
			  5F5 Salford PCT 14,433 9,761 67.6 
			  5F7 Stockport PCT 21,015 15,115 71.9 
			  5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 23,464 16,668 71.0 
			  5HP Blackpool PCT 10,846 7,645 70.5 
			  5HQ Bolton PCT 19,291 14,835 76.9 
			  5J2 Warrington PCT 14,048 11,049 78.7 
			  5J4 Knowsley PCT 9,501 6,663 70.1 
			  5J5 Oldham PCT 15,686 10,975 70.0 
			  5JX Bury PCT 13,511 10,757 79.6 
			  5LH Tameside and Glossop PCT 16,358 11,529 70.5 
			  5NE Cumbria PCT 39,674 32,090 80.9 
			  5NF North Lancashire PCT 26,801 21,299 79.5 
			  5NG Central Lancashire PCT 33,195 25,788 77.7 
			  5NH East Lancashire PCT 26,863 20,632 76.8 
			  5NJ Sefton PCT 20,798 15,722 75.6 
			  5NK Wirral PCT 24,350 19,710 80.9 
			  5NL Liverpool PCT 28,381 20,339 71.7 
			  5NM Halton and St Helens PCT 23,118 17,863 77.3 
			  5NN Western Cheshire PCT 18,819 15,367 81.7 
			  5NP Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 35,334 29,462 83.4 
			  5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 14,064 10,434 74.2 
			  5NR Trafford PCT 15,092 11,504 76.2 
			  5NT Manchester PCT 23,619 14,303 60.6 
			   
			 Q32  Yorkshire  and  the Humber SHA 362,359 278,103 76.7 
			  5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 11,880 8,200 69.0 
			  5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 12,587 8,856 70.4 
			  5H8 Rotherham PCT 18,076 14,722 81.4 
			  5J6 Calderdale PCT 14,368 10,631 74.0 
			  5JE Barnsley PCT 17,168 13,698 79.8 
			  5N1 Leeds PCT 46,851 31,849 68.0 
			  5N2 Kirklees PCT 26,989 20,731 76.8 
			  5N3 Wakefield District PCT 24,581 18,975 77.2 
			  5N4 Sheffield PCT 34,760 27,647 79.5 
			  5N5 Doncaster PCT 21,241 17,515 82.5 
			  5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 60,636 50,578 83.4 
			  5NW East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 26,078 20,647 79.2 
			  5NX Hull Teaching PCT 17,333 12,915 74.5 
			  5NY Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 29,811 21,139 70.9 
			   
			 Q33  East Midlands SHA 314,378 253,352 80.6 
			  5EM Nottingham City PCT 15,063 11,174 74.2 
			  5ET Bassetlaw PCT 8,500 6,852 80.6 
			  5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 54,027 44,409 82.2 
			  5N7 Derby City PCT 18,044 14,871 82.4 
			  5N8 Nottinghamshire County PCT 48,920 38,746 79.2 
			  5N9 Lincolnshire PCT 58,016 46,561 80.3 
			  5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 48,794 40,137 82.3 
			  5PC Leicester City PCT 16,884 12,860 76.2 
			  5PD Northamptonshire PCT 46,130 37,742 81.8 
			   
			 Q34  West Midlands SHA 385,779 300,696 77.9 
			  5CN Herefordshire PCT 14,078 11,789 83.7 
			  5M1 South Birmingham PCT 21,946 16,064 73.2 
			  5M2 Shropshire County PCT 23,763 19,751 83.1 
			  5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 17,439 13,215 75.8 
			  5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 20,003 15,046 75.2 
			  5MK Telford and Wrekin PCT 11,560 9,016 78.0 
			  5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 15,723 11,374 72.3 
			  5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 10,627 7,112 66.9 
			  5PE Dudley PCT 23,125 17,631 76.2 
			  5PF Sandwell PCT 19,890 14,679 73.8 
			  5PG Birmingham East and North PCT 26,048 19,095 73.3 
			  5PH North Staffordshire PCT 16,480 12,971 78.7 
			  5PJ Stoke on Trent PCT 18,205 13,888 76.3 
			  5PK South Staffordshire PCT 46,623 36,721 78.8 
			  5PL Worcestershire PCT 43,863 36,692 83.7 
			  5PM Warwickshire PCT 40,172 32,777 81.6 
			  TAM Solihull Care Trust 16,234 12,875 79.3 
			   
			 Q35  East of England SHA 411,562 319,669 77.7 
			  5GC Luton Teaching PCT 10,127 7,473 73.8 
			  5P1 South East Essex PCT 26,734 19,072 71.3 
			  5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 28,672 23,004 80.2 
			  5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 37,331 28,496 76.3 
			  5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 36,477 27,818 76.3 
			  5PN Peterborough PCT 10,148 7,783 76.7 
			  5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 40,851 32,771 80.2 
			  5PQ Norfolk PCT 58,145 46,383 79.8 
			  5PR Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching PCT 18,545 14,983 80.8 
			  5PT Suffolk PCT 45,969 37,903 82.5 
			  5PV West Essex PCT 19,143 11,751 61.4 
			  5PW North East Essex PCT 24,035 18,615 77.4 
			  5PX Mid Essex PCT 27,084 22,438 82.8 
			  5PY South West Essex PCT 28,302 21,179 74.8 
			   
			 Q36  London SHA 426,185 273,910 64.3 
			  5A4 Havering PCT 17,784 14,073 79.1 
			  5A5 Kingston PCT 9,977 6,517 65.3 
			  5A7 Bromley PCT 22,246 16,653 74.9 
			  5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 12,851 8,692 67.6 
			  5A9 Barnet PCT 20,902 13,660 65.4 
			  5AT Hillingdon PCT 15,075 10,372 68.8 
			  5C1 Enfield PCT 16,992 11,272 66.3 
			  5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 8,562 5,974 69.8 
			  5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 9,964 5,132 51.5 
			  5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 7,642 2,886 37.8 
			  5C5 Newham PCT 11,858 6,819 57.5 
			  5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 12,953 7,872 60.8 
			  5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 8,637 5,026 58.2 
			  5HX Ealing PCT 18,300 11,755 64.2 
			  5HY Hounslow PCT 13,494 8,923 66.1 
			  5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 15,933 9,398 59.0 
			  5K6 Harrow PCT 14,369 9,504 66.1 
			  5K7 Camden PCT 10,736 6,094 56.8 
			  5K8 Islington PCT 9,476 5,515 58.2 
			  5K9 Croydon PCT 20,788 13,991 67.3 
			  5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 9,820 5,360 54.6 
			  5LC Westminster PCT 11,062 5,674 51.3 
			  5LD Lambeth PCT 13,011 7,454 57.3 
			  5LE Southwark PCT 11,273 6,848 60.7 
			  5LF Lewisham PCT 12,776 7,815 61.2 
			  5LG Wandsworth PCT 13,500 8,216 60.9 
			  5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 12,141 8,042 66.2 
			  5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 22,057 14,903 67.6 
			  5NA Redbridge PCT 14,392 9,124 63.4 
			  5NC Waltham Forest PCT 12,726 8,755 68.8 
			  TAK Bexley Care Trust 14,888 11,591 77.9 
			   
			 Q37  South East Coast SHA 317,070 242,571 76.5 
			  5L3 Medway PCT 18,558 15,210 82.0 
			  5LQ Brighton and Hove City PCT 15,047 11,517 76.5 
			  5P5 Surrey PCT 77,918 60,313 77.4 
			  5P6 West Sussex PCT 60,014 44,745 74.6 
			  5P7 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 26,902 22,111 82.2 
			  5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT 14,116 11,383 80.6 
			  5P9 West Kent PCT 49,207 38,713 78.7 
			  5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 55,308 38,579 69.8 
			   
			 Q38  South Central SHA 277,173 221,312 79.8 
			  5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 14,375 11,467 79.8 
			  5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 10,402 7,334 70.5 
			  5L1 Southampton City PCT 13,840 10,271 74.2 
			  5QC Hampshire PCT 95,798 75,428 78.7 
			  5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 35,881 30,159 84.1 
			  5QE Oxfordshire PCT 41,504 33,839 81.5 
			  5QF Berkshire West PCT 30,075 24,273 80.7 
			  5QG Berkshire East PCT 23,056 18,506 80.3 
			  5QT Isle of Wight PCT 12,242 10,035 82.0 
			   
			 Q39  South West SHA 396,712 290,764 73.3 
			  5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 17,201 12,116 70.4 
			  5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 17,747 14,158 79.8 
			  5FL Bath and North East Somerset PCT 12,810 9,867 77.0 
			  5K3 Swindon PCT 11,951 9,463 79.2 
			  5M8 North Somerset PCT 16,622 9,821 59.1 
			  5QH Gloucestershire PCT 43,876 35,333 80.5 
			  5QJ Bristol PCT 24,396 13,857 56.8 
			  5QK Wiltshire PCT 33,774 26,873 79.6 
			  5QL Somerset PCT 42,069 34,464 81.9 
			  5QM Dorset PCT 33,931 27,033 79.7 
			  5QN Bournemouth and Poole PCT 23,945 18,544 77.4 
			  5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 45,271 33,266 73.5 
			  5QQ Devon PCT 61,344 40,421 65.9 
			  TAL Torbay Care Trust 11,775 5,548 47.1 
		
	
	
		
			 2005-06 
			 Eligible population( 2)  Number of women screened  Coverage (less than 3 years since last test) ( percentage ) 
			   England 3,633,181 2,756,716 75.9 
			   
			 Q30  North East SHA 188,399 147,306 78.2 
			  5D7 Newcastle PCT 15,187 11,119 73.2 
			  5D8 North Tyneside PCT 15,215 11,979 78.7 
			  5D9 Hartlepool PCT 6,467 4,500 69.6 
			  5E1 North Tees PCT 12,987 10,649 82.0 
			  5J9 Darlington PCT 7,378 5,742 77.8 
			  5KF Gateshead PCT 14,523 11,700 80.6 
			  5KG South Tyneside PCT 10,713 8,586 80.1 
			  5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 19,957 15,983 80.1 
			  5KM Middlesbrough PCT 8,979 6,290 70.0 
			  5ND County Durham PCT 39,449 30,953 78.5 
			  5QR Redcar and Cleveland PCT 10,744 8,440 78.6 
			  TAC Northumberland Care Trust 26,800 21,365 79.7 
			   
			 Q31  North West SHA 503,667 373,302 74.1 
			  5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT 9,799 7,087 72.3 
			  5F5 Salford PCT 14,427 9,055 62.8 
			  5F7 Stockport PCT 21,223 15,743 74.2 
			  5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 23,791 17,478 73.5 
			  5HP Blackpool PCT 10,800 8,143 75.4 
			  5HQ Bolton PCT 19,496 14,590 74.8 
			  5J2 Warrington PCT 14,187 11,266 79.4 
			  5J4 Knowsley PCT 9,767 6,947 71.1 
			  5J5 Oldham PCT 15,787 10,268 65.0 
			  5JX Bury PCT 13,652 10,795 79.1 
			  5LH Tameside and Glossop PCT 16,549 10,976 66.3 
			  5NE Cumbria PCT 40,352 31,716 78.6 
			  5NF North Lancashire PCT 27,121 17,739 65.4 
			  5NG Central Lancashire PCT 33,529 25,466 76.0 
			  5NH East Lancashire PCT 27,316 21,021 77.0 
			  5NJ Sefton PCT 20,958 15,847 75.6 
			  5NK Wirral PCT 24,522 19,646 80.1 
			  5NL Liverpool PCT 28,827 20,105 69.7 
			  5NM Halton and St Helens PCT 23,452 18,156 77.4 
			  5NN Western Cheshire PCT 18,977 15,597 82.2 
			  5NP Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 35,752 29,820 83.4 
			  5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 14,390 10,442 72.6 
			  5NR Trafford PCT 15,244 10,197 66.9 
			  5NT Manchester PCT 23,749 15,202 64.0 
			   
			 Q32  Yorkshire  and  the Humber SHA 367,582 285,477 77.7 
			  5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 12,004 8,514 70.9 
			  5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 12,817 9,746 76.0 
			  5H8 Rotherham PCT 18,404 15,274 83.0 
			  5J6 Calderdale PCT 14,608 11,302 77.4 
			  5JE Barnsley PCT 17,319 14,518 83.8 
			  5N1 Leeds PCT 47,461 33,646 70.9 
			  5N2 Kirklees PCT 27,443 20,000 72.9 
			  5N3 Wakefield District PCT 24,984 19,744 79.0 
			  5N4 Sheffield PCT 34,913 27,724 79.4 
			  5N5 Doncaster PCT 21,484 17,636 82.1 
			  5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 61,599 51,173 83.1 
			  5NW East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 26,513 21,807 82.3 
			  5NX Hull Teaching PCT 17,600 11,384 64.7 
			  5NY Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 30,433 23,009 75.6 
			   
			 Q33  East Midlands SHA 320,704 261,389 81.5 
			  5EM Nottingham City PCT 15,220 11,543 75.8 
			  5ET Bassetlaw PCT 8,716 7,412 85.0 
			  5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 54,810 45,123 82.3 
			  5N7 Derby City PCT 18,258 15,075 82.6 
			  5N8 Nottinghamshire County PCT 49,753 41,367 83.1 
			  5N9 Lincolnshire PCT 58,978 46,109 78.2 
			  5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 50,112 42,493 84.8 
			  5PC Leicester City PCT 17,427 13,286 76.2 
			  5PD Northamptonshire PCT 47,430 38,981 82.2 
			   
			 Q34  West Midlands SHA 390,722 304,653 78.0 
			  5CN Herefordshire PCT 14,370 11,919 82.9 
			  5M1 South Birmingham PCT 22,407 17,126 76.4 
			  5M2 Shropshire County PCT 24,163 18,892 78.2 
			  5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 17,597 13,427 76.3 
			  5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 20,135 15,319 76.1 
			  5MK Telford and Wrekin PCT 11,759 8,256 70.2 
			  5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 15,845 11,736 74.1 
			  5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 11,321 7,640 67.5 
			  5PE Dudley PCT 23,189 18,478 79.7 
			  5PF Sandwell PCT 20,072 14,898 74.2 
			  5PG Birmingham East and North PCT 25,431 18,835 74.1 
			  5PH North Staffordshire PCT 16,690 13,404 80.3 
			  5PJ Stoke on Trent PCT 18,366 14,147 77.0 
			  5PK South Staffordshire PCT 47,245 36,857 78.0 
			  5PL Worcestershire PCT 44,846 37,582 83.8 
			  5PM Warwickshire PCT 40,777 33,110 81.2 
			  TAM Solihull Care Trust 16,509 13,027 78.9 
			   
			 Q35  East of England SHA 419,809 321,241 76.5 
			  5GC Luton Teaching PCT 10,314 7,734 75.0 
			  5P1 South East Essex PCT 27,090 19,779 73.0 
			  5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 29,267 22,735 77.7 
			  5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 37,823 28,039 74.1 
			  5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 37,278 26,644 71.5 
			  5PN Peterborough PCT 10,394 8,396 80.8 
			  5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 41,930 33,782 80.6 
			  5PQ Norfolk PCT 59,159 48,027 81.2 
			  5PR Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching PCT 18,866 15,168 80.4 
			  5PT Suffolk PCT 47,028 38,909 82.7 
			  5PV West Essex PCT 19,561 8,286 42.4 
			  5PW North East Essex PCT 24,464 19,643 80.3 
			  5PX Mid Essex PCT 27,819 23,044 82.8 
			  5PY South West Essex PCT 28,815 21,055 73.1 
			   
			 Q36  London SHA 432,043 276,066 63.9 
			  5A4 Havering PCT 17,990 14,076 78.2 
			  5A5 Kingston PCT 10,246 7,283 71.1 
			  5A7 Bromley PCT 22,461 16,527 73.6 
			  5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 12,898 8,866 68.7 
			  5A9 Barnet PCT 21,361 14,424 67.5 
			  5AT Hillingdon PCT 15,348 10,371 67.6 
			  5C1 Enfield PCT 17,005 10,640 62.6 
			  5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 8,594 6,017 70.0 
			  5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 10,182 5,659 55.6 
			  5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 7,722 3,966 51.4 
			  5C5 Newham PCT 11,990 6,942 57.9 
			  5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 13,295 7,367 55.4 
			  5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 8,683 4,744 54.6 
			  5HX Ealing PCT 18,673 11,821 63.3 
			  5HY Hounslow PCT 13,695 8,085 59.0 
			  5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 16,175 10,242 63.3 
			  5K6 Harrow PCT 14,491 10,519 72.6 
			  5K7 Camden PCT 10,170 6,390 62.8 
			  5K8 Islington PCT 9,568 5,522 57.7 
			  5K9 Croydon PCT 20,899 13,161 63.0 
			  5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 9,898 4,961 50.1 
			  5LC Westminster PCT 11,263 5,639 50.1 
			  5LD Lambeth PCT 13,323 8,021 60.2 
			  5LE Southwark PCT 11,548 7,168 62.1 
			  5LF Lewisham PCT 12,984 8,602 66.3 
			  5LG Wandsworth PCT 13,966 8,478 60.7 
			  5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 12,045 7,113 59.1 
			  5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 22,509 15,385 68.4 
			  5NA Redbridge PCT 14,896 8,138 54.6 
			  5NC Waltham Forest PCT 13,063 8,350 63.9 
			  TAK Bexley Care Trust 15,102 11,589 76.7 
			   
			 Q37  South East Coast SHA 322,580 250,263 77.6 
			  5L3 Medway PCT 18,923 14,013 74.1 
			  5LQ Brighton and Hove City PCT 15,165 11,688 77.1 
			  5P5 Surrey PCT 79,062 61,763 78.1 
			  5P6 West Sussex PCT 61,255 45,908 74.9 
			  5P7 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 27,520 22,488 81.7 
			  5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT 14,329 11,591 80.9 
			  5P9 West Kent PCT 49,921 38,330 76.8 
			  5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 56,405 44,482 78.9 
			   
			 Q38  South Central SHA 282,724 225,029 79.6 
			  5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 14,955 11,977 80.1 
			  5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 10,524 7,473 71.0 
			  5L1 Southampton City PCT 14,051 10,210 72.7 
			  5QC Hampshire PCT 97,666 75,493 77.3 
			  5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 36,860 31,201 84.6 
			  5QE Oxfordshire PCT 42,192 34,617 82.0 
			  5QF Berkshire West PCT 30,593 24,759 80.9 
			  5QG Berkshire East PCT 23,481 19,037 81.1 
			  5QT Isle of Wight PCT 12,402 10,262 82.7 
			   
			 Q39   South West SHA 404,952 311,990 77.0 
			  5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 17,465 10,603 60.7 
			  5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 18,011 14,065 78.1 
			  5FL Bath and North East Somerset PCT 12,980 10,359 79.8 
			  5K3 Swindon PCT 12,280 9,806 79.9 
			  5M8 North Somerset PCT 16,917 13,810 81.6 
			  5QH Gloucestershire PCT 44,798 36,242 80.9 
			  5QJ Bristol PCT 24,749 12,984 52.5 
			  5QK Wiltshire PCT 34,602 28,137 81.3 
			  5QL Somerset PCT 42,890 35,160 82.0 
			  5QM Dorset PCT 34,614 27,682 80.0 
			  5QN Bournemouth and Poole PCT 24,275 18,844 77.6 
			  5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 46,973 37,000 78.8 
			  5QQ Devon PCT 62,483 47,769 76.5 
			  TAL Torbay Care Trust 11,915 9,529 80.0 
			 (1) The coverage of the breast screening programme is the proportion of women resident and eligible that have had a test with a recorded result at least once in the previous 3 years. Coverage of the screening programme is best assessed using the 53-64 age group as women may be first called at any time between their 50th and 53rd birthdays. (2) This is the number of women in the registered population less those recorded as ineligible.  Note: Data has been mapped to match the October 2006 PCT organisation structure. © Data prior to 2005, re-used with the permission of the Department of Health. Copyright © 2008, The Information Centre. All rights reserved  Source: KC63, The Information Centre for health and Social care.

Cancer: Screening

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how an activity based system for funding screening services, as outlined in the Cancer Reform Strategy, will operate.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy committed the Department to explore moving to an activity based system for funding screening services. We are at the early stages of this exploration, and are focusing on how cancer screening can fit within the existing payment by results (PbR) system. PbR is a prospective payment system that pays hospitals according to the activity they do through the national tariff.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of women attended their appointment for cervical cancer screening in each of the last three years, broken down by primary care trust.

Ann Keen: The following tables give coverage data for cervical screening for each of the last three years by primary care trust (PCT).
	
		
			  Cervical screening programme: coverage of the target age group (35-64)( 1)  by primary care organisation, 2004-05 to 2006-07 
			2004-05 
			Eligible population( 2)  (thousand)  Coverage (less than 3.5 years since last adequate test) (percentage)  Coverage (less than 5 years since last adequate test) (percentage) 
			   England 12,886.4 69.7 80.3 
			  
			   North East SHA 634.4 73.8 81.7 
			 5ND County Durham PCT 127.4 75.0 81.6 
			 5J9 Darlington PCT 24.7 75.1 81.8 
			 5KF Gateshead PCT 49.7 74.3 81.7 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT 21.6 71.4 79.3 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT 32.6 70.9 78.2 
			 5D7 Newcastle PCT 62.8 74.1 80.9 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT 45.4 73.5 80.7 
			 5D8 North Tyneside PCT 52.4 75.8 82.8 
			 TAC Northumberland Care Trust 77.4 80.8 86.3 
			 5QR Redcar and Cleveland PCT 34.0 74.0 80.8 
			 5KG South Tyneside PCT 36.5 72.6 80.4 
			 5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 69.9 64.0 80.6 
			  
			   North West SHA 1,719.7 70.3 80.0 
			 5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 73.4 72.8 80.6 
			 5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT 36.9 71.9 80.2 
			 5HP Blackpool PCT 35.3 62.8 76.7 
			 5HQ Bolton PCT 68.2 74.5 81.2 
			 5JX Bury PCT 46.2 76.5 82.9 
			 5NP Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 113.4 77.6 84.2 
			 5NG Central Lancashire PCT 111.2 71.2 81.2 
			 5NE Cumbria PCT 123.0 71.4 81.8 
			 5NH East Lancashire PCT 90.1 73.7 81.8 
			 5NM Halton and St. Helens PCT 77.3 70.8 79.1 
			 5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 51.1 74.1 81.1 
			 5J4 Knowsley PCT 38.0 65.1 75.3 
			 5NL Liverpool PCT 113.4 62.3 74.2 
			 5NT Manchester PCT 114.7 62.3 74.1 
			 5NF North Lancashire PCT 77.6 64.4 80.7 
			 5J5 Oldham PCT 54.7 73.2 81.0 
			 5F5 Salford PCT 53.5 66.1 78.8 
			 5NJ Sefton PCT 66.6 67.0 76.0 
			 5F7 Stockport PCT 73.2 68.0 81.8 
			 5LH Tameside and Glossop PCT 57.2 74.7 82.1 
			 5NR Trafford PCT 54.8 67.7 81.5 
			 5J2 Warrington PCT 49.7 75.5 82.9 
			 5NN Western Cheshire PCT 61.1 75.2 82.7 
			 5NK Wirral PCT 79.1 71.5 80.0 
			   Yorkshire  and  the Humber SHA 1,250.4 71.0 81.8 
			 5JE Barnsley PCT 59.0 60.9 79.8 
			 5NY Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 116.9 60.4 76.2 
			 5J6 Calderdale PCT 49.5 70.2 83.4 
			 5N5 Doncaster PCT 70.8 76.0 82.9 
			 5NW East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 75.0 80.4 86.0 
			 5NX Hull Teaching PCT 66.4 74.7 81.3 
			 5N2 Kirklees PCT 96.4 69.4 83.7 
			 5N1 Leeds PCT 181.9 63.3 78.2 
			 5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 39.1 66.6 81.5 
			 5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 39.1 69.9 82.9 
			 5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 188.0 79.7 85.1 
			 5H8 Rotherham PCT 60.7 64.1 80.4 
			 5N4 Sheffield PCT 124.3 75.5 82.3 
			 5N3 Wakefield District PCT 83.2 77.0 83.3 
			  
			   East Midlands SHA 1,044.9 75.7 83.8 
			 5ET Bassetlaw PCT 25.9 79.7 85.5 
			 5N7 Derby City PCT 67.5 76.7 82.7 
			 5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 167.9 80.3 86.0 
			 5PC Leicester City PCT 75.5 66.0 76.5 
			 5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 158.1 74.0 84.3 
			 5N9 Lincolnshire PCT 164.5 69.5 82.8 
			 5PD Northamptonshire PCT 158.5 76.0 82.5 
			 5EM Nottingham City PCT 67.5 76.9 83.0 
			 5N8 Nottinghamshire County PCT 159.5 81.6 87.1 
			  
			   West Midlands SHA 1,330.5 71.8 80.3 
			 5PG Birmingham East and North PCT 101.4 70.6 78.7 
			 5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 77.1 63.6 77.2 
			 5PE Dudley PCT 75.7 74.2 81.2 
			 5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 62.6 65.0 72.8 
			 5CN Herefordshire PCT 41.2 75.4 82.2 
			 5PH North Staffordshire PCT 50.4 78.0 84.1 
			 5PF Sandwell PCT 75.5 66.4 78.3 
			 5M2 Shropshire County PCT 67.5 75.9 83.3 
			 TAM Solihull Care Trust 51.9 75.6 82.8 
			 5M1 South Birmingham PCT 88.9 69.2 76.6 
			 5PK South Staffordshire PCT 146.9 77.7 83.5 
			 5PJ Stoke on Trent PCT 62.9 75.8 82.2 
			 5MK Telford and Wrekin PCT 39.7 73.1 80.8 
			 5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 61.3 72.0 79.5 
			 5PM Warwickshire PCT 132.2 75.0 82.0 
			 5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 59.4 70.9 78.7 
			 5PL Worcestershire PCT 136.0 65.8 80.4 
			  
			   East of England SHA 1,385.9 66.5 80.6 
			 5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 103.4 62.9 80.8 
			 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 144.3 70.3 82.5 
			 5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 140.0 62.9 80.4 
			 5PR Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching PCT 51.2 69.2 80.4 
			 5GC Luton Teaching PCT 46.8 60.1 78.1 
			 5PX Mid Essex PCT 88.3 66.3 81.1 
			 5PQ Norfolk PCT 168.4 67.5 81.7 
			 5PW North East Essex PCT 71.3 66.1 81.0 
			 5PN Peterborough PCT 38.2 65.4 79.7 
			 5P1 South East Essex PCT 82.1 57.5 75.6 
			 5PY South West Essex PCT 100.4 60.0 76.3 
			 5PT Suffolk PCT 142.5 76.9 83.7 
			 5PV West Essex PCT 67.6 60.8 78.2 
			 5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 141.4 71.3 82.2 
			  
			   London SHA 2,209.0 65.6 75.5 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 40.8 57.7 75.6 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 95.0 65.7 74.8 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 54.5 78.0 83.8 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 89.1 63.9 72.5 
			 5A7 Bromley PCT 80.6 76.9 83.1 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 68.8 64.8 74.0 
			 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 70.5 61.7 70.6 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 92.3 61.6 77.7 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 96.4 66.9 74.7 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 74.3 60.1 74.5 
			 5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 66.5 67.2 74.3 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 60.0 59.3 68.5 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 75.2 60.9 73.7 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 57.3 70.1 77.7 
			 5A4 Havering PCT 60.1 57.8 80.8 
			 5AT Hillingdon PCT 63.8 69.7 77.9 
			 5HY Hounslow PCT 68.6 66.7 74.5 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 63.8 65.3 74.7 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 55.4 63.6 74.3 
			 5A5 Kingston PCT 46.0 71.6 78.6 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT 98.4 66.0 74.3 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 76.5 68.6 76.1 
			 5C5 Newham PCT 73.3 66.8 75.0 
			 5NA Redbridge PCT 61.2 57.8 74.9 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 56.8 71.9 79.4 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 79.2 64.2 72.0 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 104.8 70.8 78.4 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 53.6 64.3 73.7 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 65.2 61.5 76.3 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT 94.2 66.4 74.5 
			 5LC Westminster PCT 66.8 61.5 71.2 
			  
			   South East Coast SHA 1,057.0 73.9 82.3 
			 5LQ Brighton and Hove City PCT 73.5 70.6 79.4 
			 5P7 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 78.2 76.2 83.8 
			 5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 164.7 75.8 82.7 
			 5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT 40.1 75.8 83.4 
			 5L3 Medway PCT 67.5 71.6 82.1 
			 5P5 Surrey PCT 276.9 76.2 82.3 
			 5P9 West Kent PCT 165.4 76.2 83.8 
			 5P6 West Sussex PCT 190.7 67.8 81.0 
			  
			   South Central SHA 1,008.4 68.9 81.1 
			 5QG Berkshire East PCT 98.9 61.5 78.7 
			 5QF Berkshire West PCT 119.3 66.4 80.3 
			 5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 129.1 76.8 84.0 
			 5QC Hampshire PCT 313.2 66.8 82.1 
			 5QT Isle of Wight PCT 31.7 77.5 84.0 
			 5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 60.7 72.9 80.7 
			 5QE Oxfordshire PCT 157.7 73.8 80.9 
			 5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 43.1 58.1 76.9 
			 5L1 Southampton City PCT 54.7 66.3 78.0 
			  
			   South West SHA 1,246.1 66.1 81.4 
			 5FL Bath and North East Somerset PCT 44.5 59.2 77.8 
			 5QN Bournemouth and Poole PCT 78.7 80.2 85.9 
			 5QJ Bristol PCT 107.1 55.3 74.2 
			 5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 127.3 66.5 81.7 
			 5QQ Devon PCT 172.1 65.2 81.9 
			 5QM Dorset PCT 88.6 79.7 86.0 
			 5QH Gloucestershire PCT 141.5 66.7 82.8 
			 5M8 North Somerset PCT 48.9 58.9 79.4 
			 5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 61.3 67.1 81.9 
			 5QL Somerset PCT 121.8 66.4 82.7 
			 5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 62.4 59.5 80.5 
			 5K3 Swindon PCT 49.1 62.4 79.3 
			 TAL Torbay Care Trust 32.8 75.7 82.3 
			 5QK Wiltshire PCT 110.0 63.8 79.7 
		
	
	
		
			2005-06 
			Eligible population( 2)  (thousand)  Coverage (less than 3.5 years since last adequate test) (percentage)  Coverage (less than 5 years since last adequate test) (percentage) 
			   England 13,099.2 69.8 79.5 
			  
			   North East SHA 638.4 73.7 80.9 
			 5ND County Durham PCT 127.7 75.1 81.0 
			 5J9 Darlington PCT 25.0 75.1 80.7 
			 5KF Gateshead PCT 50.0 74.3 80.7 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT 21.9 70.0 77.8 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT 32.8 70.0 77.3 
			 5D7 Newcastle PCT 63.3 73.6 80.0 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT 45.9 73.1 79.5 
			 5D8 North Tyneside PCT 52.9 76.5 82.1 
			 TAC Northumberland Care Trust 78.2 80.1 85.8 
			 5QR Redcar and Cleveland PCT 34.2 73.3 79.9 
			 5KG South Tyneside PCT 36.6 72.6 79.3 
			 5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 70.0 64.9 80.6 
			  
			   North West SHA 1,730.7 70.9 79.4 
			 5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 73.9 74.6 81.1 
			 5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT 37.4 70.4 77.9 
			 5HP Blackpool PCT 35.4 61.5 75.3 
			 5HQ Bolton PCT 69.1 74.5 81.1 
			 5JX Bury PCT 46.6 76.4 82.4 
			 5NP Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 113.6 77.7 83.6 
			 5NG Central Lancashire PCT 111.5 71.3 80.2 
			 5NE Cumbria PCT 122.9 73.9 81.8 
			 5NH East Lancashire PCT 90.8 72.7 80.1 
			 5NM Halton and St. Helens PCT 77.4 73.0 79.5 
			 5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 51.7 72.9 80.0 
			 5J4 Knowsley PCT 38.3 66.5 74.8 
			 5NL Liverpool PCT 114.8 61.8 72.8 
			 5NT Manchester PCT 117.1 64.2 74.4 
			 5NF North Lancashire PCT 78.0 67.7 80.3 
			 5J5 Oldham PCT 55.2 73.4 80.7 
			 5F5 Salford PCT 54.3 66.6 78.3 
			 5NJ Sefton PCT 66.8 67.0 74.6 
			 5F7 Stockport PCT 73.0 70.1 81.5 
			 5LH Tameside and Glossop PCT 57.6 73.8 81.1 
			 5NR Trafford PCT 55.8 68.9 80.9 
			 5J2 Warrington PCT 49.7 77.0 82.8 
			 5NN Western Cheshire PCT 60.8 75.7 81.8 
			 5NK Wirral PCT 79.3 70.9 78.3 
			  
			   Yorkshire  and  the Humber SHA 1,265.0 70.3 81.1 
			 5JE Barnsley PCT 59.6 62.0 80.1 
			 5NY Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 119.6 62.0 76.1 
			 5J6 Calderdale PCT 50.3 65.3 81.9 
			 5N5 Doncaster PCT 71.6 75.5 82.2 
			 5NW East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 75.6 79.8 85.1 
			 5NX Hull Teaching PCT 66.6 74.2 80.7 
			 5N2 Kirklees PCT 97.9 65.3 82.1 
			 5N1 Leeds PCT 184.6 63.2 78.2 
			 5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 39.1 67.7 80.9 
			 5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 39.5 66.3 82.0 
			 5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 190.1 79.0 84.3 
			 5H8 Rotherham PCT 61.2 63.7 79.5 
			 5N4 Sheffield PCT 125.3 76.3 81.7 
			 5N3 Wakefield District PCT 84.2 75.6 82.2 
			  
			   East Midlands SHA 1,064.8 75.4 83.1 
			 5ET Bassetlaw PCT 26.1 79.2 84.8 
			 5N7 Derby City PCT 69.0 76.0 81.8 
			 5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 170.0 80.0 85.2 
			 5PC Leicester City PCT 78.0 67.3 76.6 
			 5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 160.4 74.1 84.4 
			 5N9 Lincolnshire PCT 168.6 70.0 81.8 
			 5PD Northamptonshire PCT 163.0 75.2 81.3 
			 5EM Nottingham City PCT 69.1 75.2 81.7 
			 5N8 Nottinghamshire County PCT 160.6 81.1 86.5 
			  
			   West Midlands SHA 1,343.3 72.0 79.8 
			 5PG Birmingham East and North PCT 99.5 69.7 78.0 
			 5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 79.0 63.8 76.1 
			 5PE Dudley PCT 75.6 73.6 80.5 
			 5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 65.7 69.7 77.0 
			 5CN Herefordshire PCT 41.5 75.5 81.5 
			 5PH North Staffordshire PCT 50.2 77.1 83.2 
			 5PF Sandwell PCT 77.1 66.4 77.9 
			 5M2 Shropshire County PCT 68.4 76.6 82.5 
			 TAM Solihull Care Trust 52.6 75.1 81.9 
			 5M1 South Birmingham PCT 89.4 69.7 77.2 
			 5PK South Staffordshire PCT 147.9 77.4 82.9 
			 5PJ Stoke on Trent PCT 63.8 74.3 80.8 
			 5MK Telford and Wrekin PCT 40.0 73.6 80.3 
			 5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 61.8 71.0 78.4 
			 5PM Warwickshire PCT 133.9 74.0 80.9 
			 5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 59.9 70.1 77.2 
			 5PL Worcestershire PCT 137.0 68.6 79.7 
			   East of England SHA 1,409.9 67.2 80.2 
			 5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 105.3 65.8 80.0 
			 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 147.9 70.6 82.2 
			 5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 141.8 64.1 80.4 
			 5PR Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching PCT 51.6 69.9 80.0 
			 5GC Luton Teaching PCT 47.6 62.1 77.5 
			 5PX Mid Essex PCT 89.7 66.6 80.5 
			 5PQ Norfolk PCT 170.6 66.3 81.3 
			 5PW North East Essex PCT 72.7 68.7 81.3 
			 5PN Peterborough PCT 39.2 66.8 78.7 
			 5P1 South East Essex PCT 82.9 61.5 76.0 
			 5PY South West Essex PCT 102.1 61.8 76.5 
			 5PT Suffolk PCT 144.8 76.2 82.4 
			 5PV West Essex PCT 69.0 65.2 79.5 
			 5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 144.6 68.2 80.5 
			  
			   London SHA 2,281.0 65.1 74.2 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 42.2 59.0 73.5 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 97.9 64.5 73.0 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 56.0 76.4 82.1 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 92.1 63.5 71.0 
			 5A7 Bromley PCT 82.7 75.6 81.5 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 68.9 63.3 72.6 
			 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 73.1 61.6 70.1 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 94.2 61.2 76.7 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 99.1 65.2 73.0 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 75.4 62.9 75.2 
			 5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 69.5 66.1 73.0 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 61.2 58.5 67.7 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 77.0 62.2 73.2 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 59.1 68.1 75.8 
			 5A4 Havering PCT 61.0 61.5 78.8 
			 5AT Hillingdon PCT 66.8 67.0 74.5 
			 5HY Hounslow PCT 70.4 65.7 72.9 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 65.6 64.4 73.5 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 56.5 61.4 72.5 
			 5A5 Kingston PCT 47.4 70.8 77.5 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT 104.1 64.2 72.3 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 79.6 67.4 74.9 
			 5C5 Newham PCT 76.8 66.3 74.0 
			 5NA Redbridge PCT 64.4 62.1 75.2 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 55.7 71.2 78.3 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 84.2 63.2 70.7 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 108.9 69.2 76.4 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 57.9 61.7 70.8 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 66.2 64.3 77.0 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT 99.5 65.1 72.9 
			 5LC Westminster PCT 67.6 62.4 71.7 
			  
			   South East Coast SHA 1,074.9 74.0 81.5 
			 5LQ Brighton and Hove City PCT 74.8 69.5 76.5 
			 5P7 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 79.5 75.3 81.9 
			 5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 168.3 75.3 81.6 
			 5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT 40.9 75.7 81.5 
			 5L3 Medway PCT 68.2 76.3 82.3 
			 5P5 Surrey PCT 282.0 75.3 81.5 
			 5P9 West Kent PCT 168.2 77.8 83.5 
			 5P6 West Sussex PCT 193.1 67.8 81.2 
			  
			   South Central SHA 1,026.9 68.8 79.9 
			 5QG Berkshire East PCT 102.1 62.6 76.6 
			 5QF Berkshire West PCT 121.7 67.6 79.8 
			 5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 130.4 75.7 82.8 
			 5QC Hampshire PCT 314.9 66.8 80.9 
			 5QT Isle of Wight PCT 32.2 76.0 82.6 
			 5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 62.3 72.7 79.6 
			 5QE Oxfordshire PCT 159.6 72.8 79.8 
			 5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 47.5 60.9 76.2 
			 5L1 Southampton City PCT 56.1 64.2 75.7 
			  
			   South West SHA 1,264.3 67.3 81.2 
			 5FL Bath and North East Somerset PCT 44.7 61.6 78.7 
			 5QN Bournemouth and Poole PCT 80.0 78.7 84.6 
			 5QJ Bristol PCT 109.9 58.6 74.2 
			 5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 129.2 66.1 81.0 
			 5QQ Devon PCT 173.9 68.2 82.1 
			 5QM Dorset PCT 90.1 77.9 84.6 
			 5QH Gloucestershire PCT 144.0 65.9 82.0 
			 5M8 North Somerset PCT 49.8 63.4 80.4 
			 5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 62.0 67.8 81.3 
			 5QL Somerset PCT 123.6 67.9 82.8 
			 5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 62.8 64.9 81.9 
			 5K3 Swindon PCT 50.2 62.5 78.9 
			 TAL Torbay Care Trust 33.0 75.9 81.9 
			 5QK Wiltshire PCT 111.2 65.1 81.0 
		
	
	
		
			2006-07 
			Eligible population( 2)  (thousand)  Coverage (less than 3.5 years since last adequate test) (percentage)  Coverage (less than 5 years since last adequate test) (percentage) 
			   England 13,192.9 69.4 79.2 
			  
			   North East SHA 646.1 72.7 80.2 
			 5ND County Durham PCT 130.2 74.2 80.1 
			 5J9 Darlington PCT 25.6 73.6 79.3 
			 5KF Gateshead PCT 51.2 73.0 79.3 
			 5D9 Hartlepool PCT 22.0 69.4 76.9 
			 5KM Middlesbrough PCT 34.7 68.6 76.2 
			 5D7 Newcastle PCT 64.3 72.4 78.7 
			 5E1 North Tees PCT 45.8 72.9 80.0 
			 5D8 North Tyneside PCT 53.4 76.2 81.7 
			 TAC Northumberland Care Trust 78.8 79.3 85.0 
			 5QR Redcar and Cleveland PCT 32.5 73.2 80.7 
			 5KG South Tyneside PCT 37.0 71.8 78.3 
			 5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 70.6 63.0 80.0 
			  
			   North West SHA 1,739.5 70.4 79.0 
			 5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 74.2 74.1 80.7 
			 5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT 37.7 69.3 77.3 
			 5HP Blackpool PCT 35.5 60.6 75.0 
			 5HQ Bolton PCT 69.5 73.7 80.6 
			 5JX Bury PCT 46.9 75.1 82.0 
			 5NP Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 114.9 77.5 83.2 
			 5NG Central Lancashire PCT 111.1 70.3 79.6 
			 5NE Cumbria PCT 125.5 74.3 82.0 
			 5NH East Lancashire PCT 92.1 72.4 80.0 
			 5NM Halton and St. Helens PCT 77.5 73.0 79.4 
			 5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 51.9 71.6 79.3 
			 5J4 Knowsley PCT 38.3 66.2 74.5 
			 5NL Liverpool PCT 115.4 60.0 72.3 
			 5NT Manchester PCT 119.3 63.9 74.0 
			 5NF North Lancashire PCT 76.1 66.1 79.2 
			 5J5 Oldham PCT 55.4 72.7 80.2 
			 5F5 Salford PCT 54.8 65.6 77.9 
			 5NJ Sefton PCT 66.8 66.9 74.4 
			 5F7 Stockport PCT 73.1 71.5 81.3 
			 5LH Tameside and Glossop PCT 57.9 72.7 80.3 
			 5NR Trafford PCT 56.2 68.4 80.8 
			 5J2 Warrington PCT 50.0 77.1 82.9 
			 5NN Western Cheshire PCT 60.2 75.7 81.6 
			 5NK Wirral PCT 79.4 70.7 77.9 
			  
			   Yorkshire  and  the Humber SHA 1,281.0 69.0 80.2 
			 5JE Barnsley PCT 59.9 62.3 80.1 
			 5NY Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 121.6 60.9 75.6 
			 5J6 Calderdale PCT 50.9 63.9 81.5 
			 5N5 Doncaster PCT 72.1 75.5 82.0 
			 5NW East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 77.8 77.0 82.7 
			 5NX Hull Teaching PCT 68.5 71.8 78.1 
			 5N2 Kirklees PCT 98.9 63.3 81.1 
			 5N1 Leeds PCT 186.9 61.6 77.6 
			 5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 39.6 66.4 79.8 
			 5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 40.3 64.6 80.2 
			 5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 192.4 77.7 83.3 
			 5H8 Rotherham PCT 61.4 62.5 79.2 
			 5N4 Sheffield PCT 126.1 75.5 81.3 
			 5N3 Wakefield District PCT 84.7 74.6 81.2 
			  
			   East Midlands SHA 1,072.7 75.2 82.9 
			 5ET Bassetlaw PCT 26.3 79.0 84.5 
			 5N7 Derby City PCT 69.5 75.6 81.4 
			 5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 170.5 80.0 85.1 
			 5PC Leicester City PCT 79.0 66.9 76.6 
			 5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 161.2 73.9 84.4 
			 5N9 Lincolnshire PCT 170.2 69.8 81.8 
			 5PD Northamptonshire PCT 165.4 75.2 81.1 
			 5EM Nottingham City PCT 69.5 74.7 81.5 
			 5N8 Nottinghamshire County PCT 161.1 80.9 86.5 
			  
			   West Midlands SHA 1,350.8 71.2 79.3 
			 5PG Birmingham East and North PCT 100.4 69.1 77.4 
			 5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 79.3 63.8 76.2 
			 5PE Dudley PCT 75.6 73.6 80.1 
			 5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 65.4 69.8 77.7 
			 5CN Herefordshire PCT 41.9 75.1 80.8 
			 5PH North Staffordshire PCT 50.3 76.1 82.4 
			 5PF Sandwell PCT 77.8 65.7 77.5 
			 5M2 Shropshire County PCT 68.7 76.5 82.3 
			 TAM Solihull Care Trust 53.0 74.8 81.5 
			 5M1 South Birmingham PCT 90.8 68.3 76.0 
			 5PK South Staffordshire PCT 148.5 76.6 82.4 
			 5PJ Stoke on Trent PCT 64.3 73.2 80.0 
			 5MK Telford and Wrekin PCT 40.2 73.3 80.0 
			 5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 61.9 70.6 78.0 
			 5PM Warwickshire PCT 134.9 73.9 80.5 
			 5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 60.2 70.6 77.4 
			 5PL Worcestershire PCT 137.7 65.2 78.8 
			  
			   East of England SHA 1,419.8 67.2 79.9 
			 5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 105.8 68.4 81.0 
			 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 147.2 69.9 81.7 
			 5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 142.2 63.8 80.2 
			 5PR Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching PCT 52.0 70.0 80.1 
			 5GC Luton Teaching PCT 47.8 63.6 77.7 
			 5PX Mid Essex PCT 90.5 66.0 79.8 
			 5PQ Norfolk PCT 173.9 66.1 80.9 
			 5PW North East Essex PCT 73.4 68.4 81.1 
			 5PN Peterborough PCT 39.7 66.2 77.6 
			 5P1 South East Essex PCT 83.3 62.5 75.9 
			 5PY South West Essex PCT 102.6 62.4 76.3 
			 5PT Suffolk PCT 146.2 75.5 81.6 
			 5PV West Essex PCT 69.8 65.5 79.4 
			 5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 145.2 66.9 79.9 
			  
			   London SHA 2,294.0 65.0 74.0 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 42.7 60.3 74.1 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 99.1 63.1 71.7 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 55.8 76.7 82.5 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 91.8 64.0 71.6 
			 5A7 Bromley PCT 82.6 75.7 81.7 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 67.8 61.4 71.0 
			 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 73.7 62.2 70.6 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 95.3 61.8 76.4 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 98.7 65.5 72.9 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 75.7 62.8 74.9 
			 5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 69.9 65.7 73.0 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 60.9 58.8 67.4 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 77.5 61.5 72.7 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 59.1 67.9 75.8 
			 5A4 Havering PCT 61.3 63.3 79.1 
			 5AT Hillingdon PCT 66.3 67.7 75.0 
			 5HY Hounslow PCT 70.8 65.3 72.5 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 65.4 64.2 73.7 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 55.7 60.8 72.2 
			 5A5 Kingston PCT 47.7 70.7 77.1 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT 105.2 63.8 71.7 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 80.5 67.5 75.0 
			 5C5 Newham PCT 77.9 66.9 74.4 
			 5NA Redbridge PCT 65.1 63.2 75.5 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 55.9 71.1 77.8 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 85.6 63.1 70.6 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 109.7 68.9 76.0 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 59.6 61.1 70.2 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 68.2 65.1 77.5 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT 100.6 65.0 72.3 
			 5LC Westminster PCT 67.9 61.7 71.2 
			  
			   South East Coast SHA 1,081.4 73.6 81.2 
			 5LQ Brighton and Hove City PCT 74.9 68.4 75.8 
			 5P7 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 80.1 74.3 80.9 
			 5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 169.9 74.7 81.3 
			 5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT 41.2 75.3 81.4 
			 5L3 Medway PCT 68.4 76.0 82.0 
			 5P5 Surrey PCT 283.4 75.1 81.3 
			 5P9 West Kent PCT 169.3 77.4 83.3 
			 5P6 West Sussex PCT 194.2 67.7 81.0 
			  
			   South Central SHA 1,035.1 68.2 79.4 
			 5QG Berkshire East PCT 103.3 62.2 75.6 
			 5QF Berkshire West PCT 122.9 66.8 79.4 
			 5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 130.6 75.2 82.6 
			 5QC Hampshire PCT 316.7 66.6 80.8 
			 5QT Isle of Wight PCT 32.4 75.0 81.8 
			 5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 62.8 72.4 79.4 
			 5QE Oxfordshire PCT 161.7 71.3 78.6 
			 5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 47.9 60.6 75.5 
			 5L1 Southampton City PCT 56.7 63.4 74.8 
			  
			   South West SHA 1,272.5 67.3 81.0 
			 5FL Bath and North East Somerset PCT 44.7 62.3 78.8 
			 5QN Bournemouth and Poole PCT 81.1 77.9 83.9 
			 5QJ Bristol PCT 110.5 58.8 74.0 
			 5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 129.9 66.9 80.7 
			 5QQ Devon PCT 175.4 68.1 82.1 
			 5QM Dorset PCT 90.6 76.8 83.9 
			 5QH Gloucestershire PCT 144.9 66.3 82.1 
			 5M8 North Somerset PCT 50.2 63.8 80.3 
			 5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 62.3 67.8 81.2 
			 5QL Somerset PCT 124.3 67.9 82.6 
			 5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 62.7 65.2 82.0 
			 5K3 Swindon PCT 50.9 63.0 77.9 
			 TAL Torbay Care Trust 33.2 75.3 81.3 
			 5QK Wiltshire PCT 111.7 64.5 80.9 
			 (1) National policy for the cervical screening programme is that eligible women aged 25 to 64 should be screened every 3 or 5 years (women aged 25 to 49 are screened every 3 years, those aged 50 to 64 every 5 years). (2) This is the number of women in the resident population less those with recall ceased for clinical reasons.  Notes: Data prior to 2006-07 has been mapped to match the October 2006 PCT organisation structure and some SHA totals (in 2005-06) are therefore different to those previously published. © Data prior to 2005, re-used with the permission of the Department of Health. Copyright © 2008, The Information Centre. All rights reserved.  Source: KC53 Parts A2 and A3

Chlamydia: Screening

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to address the difference in numbers of men and numbers of women being screened for chlamydia.

Dawn Primarolo: Since the launch of the National Chlamydia Screening programme (NCSP) in 2003, it has been a requirement to screen both young men and women for chlamydia within the programme. This is one of the only national chlamydia screening programmes in the world to do so.
	The number of screens in men has risen year on year. In 2006-07 the number of screens undertaken in men was 21.1 per cent.
	It was recognised that more must be done to increase screening volumes in men and in November 2007, the NCSP launched a strategy 'Men too', to outline national commitments and local action to engage more men to accept chlamydia screening. The aims of the strategy are to:
	raise awareness of the importance of screening men, both for their own sexual and reproductive health and to contribute to preventing reproductive morbidity in women;
	engage national health service organisations locally to ensure equitable access to chlamydia screening for both men and women remains a priority; and
	develop best practice in providing chlamydia screening for men.
	A copy of the strategy has been placed in the Library and is also available at:
	www.chlamydiascreening.nhs.uk/ps/assets/pdfs/NCSPMens_strat.pdf
	The NCSP have been working with various stakeholders, including the Men's Health Forum, to implement commitments in this strategy. The programme of work, to be undertaken by November 2008, includes the development of a toolkit of resources to assist local NHS organisation with engaging men in screening.

Clostridium: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department's screening programme for clostridium difficile on admission to hospital will begin; and what budgetary provision he has made for the programme in each financial year to 2010-11.

Ann Keen: We are introducing universal screening for methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus for all elective patients by March 2009 and for all emergency patients as soon as possible over the next three years, supported by funding of £130 million per year by 2010-11. This will reduce the likelihood of a patient developing a clinical infection or passing it on to others in hospital who may be vulnerable.
	We have considered whether universal screening of patients for  Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile) is the best way forward for the national health service. However, the current clinical evidence does not suggest that universal screening would be clinically, or cost, effective as universal screening would not identify the majority of patients who might be carrying  C. difficile bacteria, and patients without symptoms are not considered to present an increased risk of infecting others. This is why we are targeting high risk patients for  C. difficile screening. All over 65s in hospital with diarrhoea already should be screened for  C . difficile as set out in current guidance. This will ensure the infection is identified quickly and appropriate measures are taken to treat the patient and minimise infection of other patients.
	The measures for tackling healthcare associated infections such as  C. difficile are set out in Health Protection Agency guidance, the "Saving Lives" programme and "Clean, safe care" strategy. Additional investment of £270 million funding per year by 2010-11 has been identified in the comprehensive spending review to support infection control and cleanliness in the NHS.
	We will keep the clinical evidence for further  C. difficile screening under review and will act quickly in response to new and emerging evidence.

Dental Services

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental surgeries in England closed permanently in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.

Dental Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the adult population saw an NHS dentist in each strategic health authority area in the 24 month period preceding 31 March 2001.

Ann Keen: Unique patients seen in a 24-month period only replaced registration as a measure of access to national health service dentistry in April 2006. Information cannot therefore be provided in the form requested.
	Information on the number of adult patients registered with an NHS dentist as a proportion of the adult population at strategic health authority (SHA) level in England as at 31 March 1997 to 2000 are available in the following table. Each registration during this period lasted 15 months.
	The proportion of adult patients registered with an NHS dentist is available as at 31 March 2001 to 2006 in the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006.
	This report is available in the Library and is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006
	
		
			  General dental services ( G DS) and personal dental services (PDS): Proportion of the adult population registered with a dentist, by SHA area, England, as at 31 March 1997-2000 
			  Percentage 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000 
			 England 52.9 49.8 45.6 45.3 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 53.8 49.9 47.5 47.8 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA 52.9 49.1 44.8 44.7 
			 Essex SHA 51.0 47.2 44.4 45.1 
			 North West London SHA 53.7 49.9 43.3 41.9 
			 North Central London SHA 50.9 47.6 42.0 40.5 
			 North East London SHA 48.9 44.8 38.0 37.3 
			 South East London SHA 47.9 45.0 40.2 38.5 
			 South West London SHA 48.0 44.4 37.0 37.2 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA 58.4 55.4 51.7 52.5 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley SHA 59.7 57.9 53.8 54.5 
			 North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire SHA 52.5 50.8 48.1 47.5 
			 West Yorkshire SHA 59.6 58.1 54.0 52.3 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 52.0 50.4 47.8 47.6 
			 Greater Manchester SHA 60.5 57.2 52.4 52.0 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA 60.1 57.0 52.5 52.4 
			 Thames Valley SHA 37.8 34.7 31.2 31.8 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA 52.6 49.1 44.4 43.1 
			 Kent and Medway SHA 41.8 40.1 37.6 37.9 
			 Surrey and Sussex SHA 50.5 47.1 42.6 42.0 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA 48.5 45.1 40.0 39.8 
			 South West Peninsula SHA 51.7 47.2 42.6 42.5 
			 Dorset and Somerset SHA 56.2 52.7 49.4 48.8 
			 South Yorkshire SHA 60.2 58.7 55.4 54.0 
			 Trent SHA 55.1 53.6 50.6 51.0 
			 Leics, Northants and Rutland SHA 55.4 53.0 49.2 48.7 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA 47.5 43.2 39.5 39.0 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country SHA 55.5 51.9 47.6 47.3 
			 West Midlands South SHA 54.2 50.1 45.6 45.5 
			  Note: 1. SHA boundaries are as at 31 March 2006.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care. NHS Business Services Authority

Dental Services: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in  (a) Colchester constituency and  (b) Essex are awaiting registration with an NHS dentist; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally. Further information may be available from the chair of North East Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT), which contains Colchester constituency, and Mid Essex PCT, South East Essex PCT, South West Essex PCT and West Essex PCT, which together with North East Essex PCT commission dental services to the county of Essex.

Dental Services: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Staffordshire are awaiting registration with an NHS dentist; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information is not held centrally by the Department.
	Increasing the number of patients seen within national health service dental services is now a formal priority in the NHS Operating Framework for 2008-09 and we have supported this with a very substantial 11 per cent. uplift in overall allocations to primary care trusts from 1 April 2008.

Dentistry: Manpower

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1004W, on dentistry: manpower, how many orthodontists were available to the acute health sector in England in each year from 2001.

Ann Keen: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of orthodontists (and orthodontic consultants) working in hospital and community health services, England—at 30 September each year 
			  Number (headcount) 
			   Orthodontists  Of which: Consultant 
			 2001 506 154 
			 2002 508 161 
			 2003 522 178 
			 2004 521 180 
			 2005 552 206 
			 2006 544 189 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care

Dentistry: Pensions

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what pension entitlements are provided to NHS  (a) dentists and  (b) dental nurses.

Ann Keen: Dentist performers working in independent practices have access to practitioner benefits under the national health service pension scheme. These are calculated on a career average re-valued earnings basis of 1.4 per cent. of their total pensionable pay with a fixed lump sum of 4.2 per cent. of total pensionable pay. Dental nurses employed by independent practices are not entitled to membership of the NHS pension scheme.
	Salaried dentists and dental nurses directly employed by NHS trusts or primary care trusts qualify for benefits calculated on the best year of the last three years pensionable pay. This provides a pension based on 1/80 of their salary for each year of service with a fixed lump sum of three times the pension.
	All such members have a normal pension age of 60.

Diabetes: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had a diagnosis of diabetes in  (a) Romford,  (b) Greater London and  (c) Essex (i) in the latest period for which figures are available and (ii) in 1997.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The quality and outcomes framework (QOF) part of the general practitioner (GP) contract requires practices to record the number of patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Only patients aged 17 and over are included, as patients younger than that are considered to need specialist care that would not be provided by a GP. Therefore, all figures given underestimate the number of diabetics. Furthermore, data are not available for Romford, Greater London or Essex as they are not national health service organisations. Data are not available for 1997 as the GP contract was only introduced in the financial year 2004-05. However:
	the closest NHS structure is Havering primary care trust (PCT), which includes Romford. In 2006-07 there were 9,281 patients on the diabetes register in practices in Havering;
	the NHS organisation closest to Greater London is London strategic health authority (SHA). In 2006-07 there were 300,567 patients on the diabetes register; and
	similarly, Essex is not a NHS organisation since the re-structuring of SHAs in October 2006. For the five PCTs in Essex (Mid Essex, North East Essex, South East Essex, South West Essex and West Essex) there were 61,348 patients on the diabetes register in these areas in 2006-07.
	Coverage of QOF patients will only contribute to the figures in QOF if they are registered with a general practice participating in QOF.

Elderly

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pilot projects there are of individual budgets for older people.

Ivan Lewis: Of the 13 individual budget pilot sites in England, eight sites have included older people.

General Practitioners: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will hold an inquiry into all circumstances relating to the building of the Bluebell Surgery at Highwoods, Colchester to establish  (a) the reasons for the time taken and  (b) who is responsible; what additional costs have been incurred by the national health service as a result of the time taken; and when he expects the surgery and associated Bluebell Centre facilities to open.

Ivan Lewis: Primary care trusts (PCTs) have management responsibility for the delivery of primary medical care; including issues around existing practice premises and the development of any new practice premises. The issues the hon. Member raises are therefore local matters for North East Essex Primary Care Trust.

General Practitioners: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs are practising in Tamworth constituency.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally. Data are held on the numbers of general practitioners (GPs) practicing within primary care trust (PCT) areas. Tamworth constituency falls within South Staffordshire PCT area. As at 30 September 2006, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 343 GPs practicing within South Staffordshire PCT. This figure excludes retainers and registrars.
	 Source:
	The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust: Palliative Care

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money his Department has provided to Gloucestershire primary care trust for palliative care in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what the projected amounts for forthcoming financial years are; how much of these amounts are ring-fenced in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: In 2003-04 Ministers set up a central budget, lasting for three years, of £50 million per annum for specialist palliative care. The budget was allocated pro rata to the cancer networks throughout the country to develop local services. Gloucestershire primary care trust (PCT) was part of the Three Counties Cancer Network which received £928,000 per annum between 2003-04 and 2005-06. The £50 million was made recurrent in PCT baseline allocations from 2006-07.
	PCTs are responsible within the national health service for commissioning and funding services for their resident population, including end of life care. It is for PCTs to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to meet the health care needs of their local populations and the Department does not have figures for individual PCT expenditure on palliative care.

Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department intends to issue guidance on the duty for primary care trusts and local authorities to undertake a joint strategic needs assessment.

Ivan Lewis: Guidance on Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) was released by the Department on 13 December 2007 and can be found on the Department website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_081097
	A copy has been placed in the Library.
	JSNA will develop and improve over time. The Department has commissioned Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory (Y and HPHO), which has a specialist role to support commissioning, to lead this process. Further developments e.g. of the JSNA 'minimum dataset' will be announced on the Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory website at:
	www.yhpho.org.uk/viewResource.aspx?id=1299
	A draft copy has been placed in the Library.

Health Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department plans to publish new good practice guidelines on care planning, including support for self care; whether his Department intends to consult on these guidelines; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department plans to publish a framework on personalised and integrated care planning in the spring of 2008, which includes support for self care as an integral part of the process. The framework has been developed in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders from the national health service, social care, the third sector and patient and carers representative groups.

Healthy Living Centres

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the healthy living centres established as part of the New Opportunities Fund Healthy Living Centres programme remain in operation, broken down by region.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has no direct relationship with Healthy Living Centres in England and does not collect data from them.
	Healthy Living Centres are funded by the Big Lottery Fund (formerly the New Opportunities Fund).

Hearing Aids: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were  (a) assessed for and  (b) provided with a hearing aid in each London primary care trust in the last year for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not held centrally. However, the Department will collect referral-to-treatment data on direct access audiology—including the fitting of hearing aids—for the first time from April 2008. The Department continues to work with the national health service to improve audiology services. A national audiology framework was published in March 2007 and the Department is working directly with the most challenged organisations.

Hospital Beds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to prevent inappropriate discharges of patients into the community by  (a) trust and  (b) foundation hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The decision to discharge a patient is a medical one, made by clinicians. The health and social care needs of patients are assessed as part of the hospital discharge process to ensure that the patients care needs are met. On 1 October 2007 the national health service implemented the National Framework for Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care which contains guidance on assessing the care needs of patients.

Hospital Wards: Gender

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints his Department received on mixed-sex accommodation in hospitals in each of the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: During 2007 the Department received a total of 36 complaints related to mixed sex accommodation, through the central correspondence system. The monthly breakdown is shown in the table.
	The Department does not, as a rule, investigate individual complaints; rather it advises correspondents to follow the national health service complaints procedure. This directs complainants to local organisations to register and pursue the complaints.
	
		
			  NHS estates/mixed sex wards—monthly stats 
			   Number 
			 January 2007 6 
			 February 2007 4 
			 March 2007 4 
			 April 2007 3 
			 May 2007 4 
			 June 2007 0 
			 July 2007 4 
			 August 2007 2 
			 September 2007 2 
			 October 2007 5 
			 November 2007 1 
			 December 2007 1 
			 Total 36

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the cleanliness of hospitals contracted to South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust.

Ann Keen: The national health service is assessed by the Healthcare Commission against core and developmental standards within Standards for Better Health. In respect of cleanliness, South Staffordshire primary care trust rated itself as compliant against core standard 21, which states:
	"Healthcare services are provided in environments which promote effective care and optimise health outcomes by being well designed and well maintained with cleanliness levels in clinical and non-clinical areas that meet the national specifications for clean NHS premises."
	The Healthcare Commission also conducts the national patient surveys, which ask a variety of questions regarding cleanliness. The patient survey results are used as part of the evidence of compliance with the standards.
	In addition, the National Patient Safety Agency conducts an annual patient environment action team (PEAT) inspection of all hospitals of 10 or more beds. This is a self-assessment, which includes cleanliness among other patient environment issues. The score generated is then banded into either: unacceptable, poor, acceptable, good or excellent. This report is available in full on the internet at www.npsa.nhs.uk/peat
	The following table identifies those hospitals that contract with South Staffordshire PCT, their assessment of compliance against core standard 21 and their PEAT score. Compliance with core standard 21 is taken at trust level and the PEAT score at individual site level.
	
		
			  Name of hospital  Core standard 21  PEAT environment rating 
			 Samuel Johnson Community Hospital Compliant as South Staffordshire PCT Good 
			 Sir Robert Peel Hospital Compliant as South Staffordshire PCT Good 
			 Cannock Chase Compliant as Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals Good 
			 St. George's Hospital Compliant as South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare Foundation Trust Good 
			 Queens Hospital Burton Compliant as Burton Hospitals NHS Trust Good 
			 Staffordshire General Hospital Compliant as Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals Good

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measurements will be used to assess the effectiveness of the deep cleaning of hospitals in England.

Ann Keen: As set out in the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 38-39WS, following completion of the deep clean of the national health service on 31 March 2008, the Department will work with strategic health authorities (SHAs) to draw up examples of where a deep clean has had a demonstrable effect in improving patient care and experience and will share these across the NHS.
	SHAs will take the lead on evaluation locally as the impact of each trust's programme will be different and no single measurement method will pick up all the benefits, particularly as trusts may be implementing a range of measures to improve cleanliness and tackle healthcare associated infections.
	Improvements to patient experience and environment may be measurable through:
	Patient Environment Action Team scores;
	scores on national specifications for cleanliness;
	compliance with the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections;
	compliance with the Department's national core standards;
	Healthcare Commission in-patient survey scores; and
	infection rates.

Hospitals: Independent Reconfiguration Panel

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the recommendations of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on hospitals in West Suffolk.

Ivan Lewis: I have received the report and its recommendations. These are currently under consideration and I will be responding shortly.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on the routine screening of NHS staff for  (a) MRSA infection and  (b) clostridium difficile;
	(2)  how many cases of  (a) MRSA infection and  (b) clostridium difficile infection have been detected in staff working in the NHS in each of the last three years.

Ann Keen: Departmental guidance does not recommend routine screening of health care staff for either of these infections. Expert advice is that routine screening of staff is not indicated, and therefore not recommended but may be used to help control or investigate an outbreak.
	In terms of the number of cases of infections in staff, I refer the hon. Member for North Norfolk to the reply I gave him on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1450W.

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Alcoholic Drinks

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many alcohol-related emergency admissions to hospitals in the Hull and East Yorkshire hospitals NHS trust area there were in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) age and  (b) sex; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Count of finished admission episodes for alcohol related emergency admissions to Hull and East Yorkshire hospitals NHS trust( 1)  in each year since 1997-98, broken down by age and sex—national health service hospitals England and activity performed in the independent sector in England commissioned by English NHS 
			Ages  Unknown 
			Under 18  18 and over  Age  Sex 
			   Description  Male  Female  Male  Female  Under 18  18 and over  Male  Female 
			 2006-07 Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust 53 72 1,396 539 0 0 0 0 
			   
			 2005-06 Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust 64 69 1,430 574 0 0 0 0 
			   
			 2004-05 Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust 49 61 1,156 420 0 0 * 0 
			   
			 2003-04 Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust 50 77 938 333 0 0 * 0 
			   
			 2002-03 Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust 49 56 885 347 0 0 0 * 
			   
			 2001-02 Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust 46 61 759 257 0 0 0 0 
			   
			 2000-01 Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust 43 35 782 303 0 * 0 0 
			   
			 1999-2000 Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust 61 56 948 282 0 0 0 0 
			   
			 1999-98 Royal Hull Hospital NHS Trust 55 40 871 336 0 0 0 0 
			  East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 0 0 26 12 0 0 0 0 
			   
			 1997-98 Royal Hull Hospital NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 746 316 
			  East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 0 0 12 7 0 0 0 0 
			 * = For reasons of confidentiality numbers between one and five have been suppressed and shown as '*'. (1) 0n 1 October 1999 Royal Hull hospital NHS trust and East Yorkshire hospitals NHS trust merged to form the Hull and East Yorkshire hospitals NHS trust.  Notes: 1. Data quality: Hospital episode statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts, and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The information centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 2. Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. Admission method codes used: 21 = Emergency: via accident and emergency (A and E) services, including the casualty department of the provider 22 = Emergency: via general practitioner (GP) 23 = Emergency: via bed bureau, including the central bureau 24 = Emergency: via consultant out-patient clinic 28 = Emergency: other means, including patients who arrive via the A and E department of another health care provider 3. Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. 4. Low numbers: Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between one and five have been suppressed and replaced with '*' (an asterisk). 5. All diagnoses count of mentions: These figures represent a count of all mentions of a diagnosis in any of the 14 diagnosis fields in the HES data set. Therefore, if a diagnosis is mentioned in more than one diagnosis field during an episode, all diagnoses are counted. Diagnosis codes used: F10—Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol K70—Alcoholic liver disease T51—Toxic effect of Alcohol 6. Ungrossed Data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for Health and Social Care 
		
	
	The Government's renewed alcohol strategy, "Safe. Sensible. Social—the next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy", sets out a clear path to minimise the health harms, violence and antisocial behaviour associated with alcohol, while ensuring that people are able to enjoy alcohol safely and responsibly.
	The comprehensive spending review announced a Home Office Public Service Agreement target to reduce alcohol harm. It includes a new national indicator to measure change in the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-attributable conditions—the first ever national commitment to monitor how the NHS is tackling alcohol harms, which will operate from April 2008. In addition, the Department and Home Office jointly will launch a much expanded, £10 million public health and education campaign on alcohol in 2008, to raise general awareness of health risks and challenge tolerance of drunkenness.

Junior Doctors

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many newly trained junior doctors have been employed in the Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the last 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not available in the format requested. There was one doctor in their first year of the foundation programme (also known as the position of house officer, which is currently being phased out) at Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust as at 30 September 2006. This compares with 17 doctors that were still in training at the foundation trust.
	The numbers of doctors that the NHS requires to be recruited each year is a matter for determination by local NHS organisations, as they are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community.

Learning Disability

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will define the range of conditions covered by the term learning difficulties as used in the Valuing People Now document; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to consult disabled people with no ability to live independently or to work on the proposals in the Valuing People Now initiative.

Ivan Lewis: 'Valuing People Now, from Progress to Transformation' uses the definition of learning disability Valuing People (2001) as including the presence of:
	a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills (impaired intelligence), with;
	a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning); and
	which started before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development.
	Learning disability does not include all those who have a specific "learning difficulty", which is more broadly defined in education legislation. 'Valuing People Now' includes people with autism who also have a learning disability.
	The aspiration of 'Valuing People Now' is to include everyone, starting from the position that we can move towards independent living, with the right support, for even those with the most complex needs. There are many examples of this, led by families who want the best for their sons and daughters.
	The consultation process is being taken forward in a way that is accessible for people who do not use words and for those who have complex needs. The consultation is also involving the people who work with them, family members and close carers who understand their best interests.

Lighting: Health Hazards

Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of whether energy efficient light bulbs cause migraines.

Ann Keen: We have made no assessment of the risk of migraines from exposure to energy efficient light bulbs.

Lipid Modification

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department expects to publish new guidance on lipid modification.

Ann Keen: The Department has no plans to publish new guidance on lipid modification but the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently developing a clinical guideline on lipid modification entitled "Cardiovascular risk assessment: the modification of blood lipids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease". We understand that NICE expects to publish final guidance to the national health service this year. Further information can be found on NICE's website at:
	www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=byID&o=11628

Lorazepam

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many companies are licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to manufacture or sell the drug Lorazepam or Ativan.

Dawn Primarolo: United Kingdom marketing authorisations for Lorazepam or Ativan have been granted to eight companies.

Maternity Matters Strategy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the early adopter sites under the Maternity Matters strategy are.

Ann Keen: There are 11 early adopter sites. They will be hosted by the following national health service organisations:
	Newham primary care trust;
	King's College hospital NHS Foundation Trust/Guy's and St. Thomas Foundation Trust/Southwark primary care trust;
	Milton Keynes primary care trust;
	East Lancashire hospitals NHS Trust;
	South Central strategic health authority maternity network;
	East Sussex hospital NHS Trust;
	Bournemouth and Poole primary care trust
	Gloucestershire primary care trust, in partnership with Gloucestershire hospital Foundation Trust and Gloucestershire Partnership Foundation Trust;
	Birmingham Women's Health Care NHS Trust; and
	Doncaster and Bassetlaw Foundation Trust and Doncaster primary care trust.
	Further information on the early adopter sites can be found at:
	www.cypf.csip.org.uk/maternity/maternity/early-adopter-sites.html

Maternity Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Healthcare Commission to publish the report of its review of maternity services.

Ann Keen: We understand that the Healthcare Commission will be publishing the outcome of the review of maternity services on their website www.healthcarecommission.org.uk on 25 January.

MRSA: Death

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients died as a result of  (a) MRSA and  (b) C. difficile in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 January 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many patients died as a result of (a) MRSA and (b) C. difficile in each year since 1997. (183141)
	The table below provides data on the number of death certificates on which MRSA and Clostridium difficile were mentioned, from 1997 to 2005, the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of death certificates where (a) methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus( 1)  and (b) Clostridium difficile( 2)  was mentioned, England and Wales, 1997 to 2005( 3, 4) 
			   (a) MRSA  (b) Clostridium difficile 
			 1997 389 (4)n/a 
			 1998 412 (4)n/a 
			 1999 487 975 
			 2000 669 (4)n/a 
			 2001 734 1,241 
			 2002 800 1,428 
			 2003 955 1,778 
			 2004 1,168 2,247 
			 2005 1,629 3,807 
			 (1) Identified using the methodology described in Griffiths C, Lamagni TL, Crowcroft NS, Duckworth G and Rooney C (2004). Trends in MRSA in England and Wales: analysis of morbidity and mortality data for 1993 to 2002. Health Statistics Quarterly 21, 15-22. (2 )Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics: Report: Deaths involving Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 2001 to 2005. Health Statistics Quarterly 33, 71-75. (3 )Data are for deaths occurring in each calendar year. (4 )Deaths involving Clostridium difficile can only be identified using the Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). This has been used by ONS for coding mortality from 2001 onwards and in 1999 for a bridge coding study. Data are therefore not available for 1997, 1998 and 2000 when the Ninth Revision of the ICD was in use.

MRSA: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) MRSA and  (b) clostridium difficile there are at (i) Barnet hospital, (ii) Royal Free hospital and (iii) Northwick Park; how many there were in 2006-07; and what steps are being taken to reduce the incidence of these and other hospital-acquired infections in each hospital.

Ann Keen: The number of methicillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia reports and of  clostridium difficile reports during 2006-07, for the hospitals concerned, are set out in the following table(1).
	(1) Data are provisional and subject to corrections that would be incorporated in future publications by the Health Protection Agency on its website: www.hpa.org.uk.
	
		
			   MRSA bacteraemia reports: April 2006 to March 2007  C. difficile reports for patients aged >65 years: April 2006 to March 2007( 1) 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 62 751 
			 The Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust (2)75 133 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 51 273 
			 (1) Mandatory surveillance of C. difficile began in January 2004. Prior to availability of quarterly data from January 2006, (first published in January 2007), they have been published only by calendar year. The data used in this answer are derived by aggregating quarterly data, to calculate the total for the financial year 2006-07. (2 )These data include one or more cases that have been dually reported, or accepted as extenuating circumstances. 
		
	
	The steps being taken to reduce the incidents of health care associated infections are summarised in the written ministerial statement of 9 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 9-10WS about a new comprehensive strategy, "Clean, Safe Care: Reducing infections and saving lives" to tackle health care associated infections and improve cleanliness in the national health service.
	The strategy draws together recent initiatives and details new areas where the NHS should invest Government funding of £270 million per year by 2010-11. It also sets out where there are new national expectations and requirements, for example about the new national target for C. difficile and the requirements for the deep cleaning every hospital by March 2008. It also outlines areas, such as investment in infection control nurses, pharmacists and isolation nurses, that NHS organisations should consider when developing their local plans.
	Copies of both the written ministerial statement and the strategy, "Clean, Safe Care: Reducing infections and saving lives", are available in the Library.

NHS Chiropody Services

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the availability of NHS chiropody services for pensioners in Colchester constituency.

Ivan Lewis: Information is not held centrally. It is for primary care trusts in partnership with local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, outlined in the national service frameworks, and to commission services accordingly. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community, including the provision of chiropody.

NHS: Complaints

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints about care in the national health service are under investigation by the Health Service Commissioner; and what the average length of time between receipt of a complaint and publication of a decision on it has been in the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: Information on numbers of national health service complaints processed at the third stage of the NHS Complaints Procedure is held by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and is not collected by the Department nor held centrally. The information can be obtained by request to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman direct at:
	www.ombudsman.org.uk

NHS: Consultants

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescribing advisers were employed in the NHS in England in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available, broken down by primary care trust.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available. The National Prescribing Centre (NPC) maintains a database of prescribing advisers who have chosen to register with that organisation. We understand that there were 1,514 prescribing advisors registered on the NPC database as of January 2008. Comparable information is not held for earlier years and information is not available on whether these prescribing advisers are employed on a full or part-time basis.

NHS: Public Appointments

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what statutory provisions he proposes to make regulations to give himself powers to suspend the chairmen and non-executive directors of NHS trusts and primary care trusts and to delegate such powers to the Appointments Commission.

Ann Keen: The Secretary of State has power to make regulations to provide for the tenure of office of the chairman and directors of an national health service trust, including the circumstances in which they cease to hold office, or may be removed from office, or may be suspended from performing the functions of the office. The power is contained in the National Health Service Act 2006, Schedule 4, paragraph 4(l)(a).
	The Secretary of State also has power to make regulations to provide for the tenure of office of the chairman and other members of a primary care trust (PCT), including the circumstances in which they cease to hold office or may be removed or suspended from office. The power is contained in the National Health Service Act 2006, Schedule 3, paragraph 4(l)(a).
	Under section 58(1) and (2) of the Health Act 2006, the Appointments Commission is to exercise so much of any function of the Secretary of State relating to the appointment of chairmen and non-executive members of PCTs and NHS trusts as may be specified in a direction given by the Secretary of State.
	Under section 71(2) of this Act, the reference to 'appointment' in section 58 includes removal or suspension from office.

NHS: Screening

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the screening programme for  (a) heart disease,  (b) stroke,  (c) diabetes,  (d) kidney disease and  (e) aortic aneurysm will be operational in all strategic health authority areas.

Ann Keen: The Department is currently developing proposals for a screening programme. The purpose of the screening programme will be to identify people's levels of risk for cardiac and vascular disease so that they can be offered preventive measures.
	The exact nature of a vascular risk assessment and management programme is still the subject of developmental work. It would be premature at this stage to set out specific details such as operational timescales.
	With regard to screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm, discussions are underway with stakeholders to plan implementation starting with pilots in selected sites in England aiming for the programme to be operational in all strategic health authorities over the next five years.

Nurses: Pay

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average salary is of a  (a) band 5 nurse working on a cancer ward and  (b) cancer clinical nurse specialist; and how much it cost on average to train a nurse from band 5 to clinical nurse specialist level in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: It is not possible to identify from central data the average salary of a band 5 nurse working on a cancer ward, however the band 5 salary ranges from £19,683 to £25,424. The role of a cancer clinical nurse specialist can vary locally and any particular role would need to be job evaluated, based on the demands of the job. It could range from bands 6 to possibly 8a with salary ranges from £23,458 to £43,335. Similarly, on average training costs it is not possible to provide a figure as the skill levels of these posts can vary and therefore training varies.

Obesity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1192-3W, on obesity, how many children of each age were treated in each of the obesity clinics for children in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of each of the clinics in treating patients for obesity; and what plans he has to increase the number of obesity clinics in England;
	(3)  what the most recent waiting time statistics are for each of the clinics, including the number of weeks patients have waited from referral to treatment; and what the equivalent figures were for the last five financial years for which figures are available;
	(4)  according to what criteria patients are referred to the clinics;
	(5)  which primary care trusts each of the 12 clinics serve;
	(6)  how many patients each clinic saw in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available; and what the funding for each clinic was in each of those years;
	(7)  which NHS obesity clinics have closed in the last five years; and what the  (a) date and  (b) reason was for each closure;
	(8)  what the average cost of each finished consultant episode for  (a) a primary diagnosis and  (b) a primary or secondary diagnosis of obesity was in each year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The White Paper 'Choosing Health: making Healthy choices easier' made a commitment that the prevention and treatment of obesity will ensure referral mechanisms to specialist obesity services that will be staffed by teams with specialist knowledge and training in obesity management. Local areas all decide the best types of treatments to provide for their own populations, in line with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children.
	NICE has recommended that surgical intervention only be conducted after dietary, exercise and behavioural approaches have been started and evaluated, i.e. as a last resort. NICE have also recently published a commissioning guide on bariatric surgery to help the national health service in England effectively commission evidence-based care for patients.
	The Department has made no assessment of the effectiveness of clinics treating obesity and information on the number of patients seen (including children treated), waiting time, PCTs served by the existing NHS run clinics. Additional information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Patient Care

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under the age of 65 were assessed as having significant or urgent personal care needs in each year since 2001; and what the cost to the public purse of providing care to such people was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not collected by the Department.

Perinatal Mortality

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce the rate of stillbirths;
	(2)  when he expects to reply to question 173927, tabled by the hon. Member for North East Milton Keynes on 11 December 2007, on stillbirths.

Ann Keen: In April 2007, the Department published "Maternity Matters—Choice access and continuity of care in a safe service". The Department also publishes "The Pregnancy Book" for prospective parents, the most recent edition of which was published in May 2007. These two publications, one providing a framework for maternity services and the other providing information for parents, ensure that women can expect well-managed pregnancies in which the risks of stillbirth are reduced. However, one of the main causes of stillbirth remains very low gestational age. While increasingly large numbers of babies are surviving earlier deliveries, this remains an area of risk.

Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Nurses

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new nursing staff were employed in the Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: The following table shows the estimated number of nurse joiners at Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust as at 30 September 2004, 2005 and 2006 which are the latest data available.
	
		
			  As at 30 September each year  Nurse joiners 
			 2004 194 
			 2005 128 
			 2006 72 
			  Notes: 1. These figures are estimates based on annual snapshots. It is possible for a nurse to join and leave between 30 September in two consecutive years and not be counted as a joiner. 2. The joiners do not include bank staff and are joiners to the organisation, not newly qualified nurses joining the NHS. 3. The joiners may have been previously employed by the trust.  Source: Health and Social Care information centre NHS Staff Censuses

Plastic Surgery: Licensing

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has provided to local authorities on the licensing of the provision of botox treatments.

Ben Bradshaw: Botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine and cosmetic treatments using this medicine are covered by the Medicines Act 1968, which is administered by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Local authorities do not have any powers to license the provision of cosmetic treatments involving botulinum toxin, and the Department has therefore issued no guidance to local authorities in respect of these treatments.

Pregnancy: Health Services

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the antenatal (i) services and (ii) procedures provided to pregnant women in different primary care trust areas.

Ann Keen: The Department commissioned the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to produce a comprehensive suite of evidence-based guidelines on pregnancy and birth, including one on antenatal care issued in 2003. This is currently being revised and is expected to be published in March 2008.

Primary Care Trusts

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for liver transplant operations in each primary care trust in  (a) Essex and  (b) the Greater London area is in 2007-08; and what the equivalent time was in (i) 1996, (ii) 1998, (iii) 2001, (iv) 2005 and (v) 2006.

Ann Keen: The average waiting time for a liver transplant for residents in Essex and Greater London primary care trusts (PCTs) is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Primary care trusts  1996  1998  2001  2005  2006  2007 
			  London primary care trusts   
			 Number waiting 50 55 68 65 77 61 
			 Median wait time (days) 49.0 58.0 68.0 111.0 157.0 106 
			
			  Essex primary care trusts   
			 Number waiting 4 6 12 9 17 10 
			 Median wait time (days) 39.5 25.0 19.0 120.0 66.0 70.5 
			  Notes: 1. These figures are based on actual transplants that took place. All cases are first graft, elective transplants.  2. Essex PCTs include north east Essex, west Essex, south east Essex, south west Essex and mid Essex.

Primary Care Trusts: Interpreters

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by primary care trusts on interpreters in each year since 2001.

Ivan Lewis: National health service bodies are not required to report their planned or actual spending on interpretation and translation services to the Department. When planning such services, NHS bodies should take due account of their legal duties, the composition of the communities they serve, and the needs and circumstances of their patients, service users and local populations.

Queens Hospital Romford: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional resources will be allocated to Queen's hospital, Romford under the Government's recent announcement of extra staff to tackle hospital infections.

Ann Keen: The £45 million additional funding is allocated to primary care trusts for 2008-09 and will enable each hospital trust to employ two infection control nurses, two isolation nurses and an antimicrobial pharmacist. It is for Barking, Havering and Redbridge hospitals NHS trust, of which Queen's hospital, Romford is part of, to decide on actual staff numbers in light of their specific local hygiene and infection needs and existing staff levels.

Regional Development Agencies

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has allocated any resources to be spent via the regional development agencies' single pot in 2007-08.

Dawn Primarolo: No resources have been allocated by the Department to the Regional Development Agencies' single pot.

Smoking

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons are for the time taken to produce National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on smoking cessation techniques; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is informed that there has been no delay to the production of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) public health programme guidance on smoking cessation. NICE expects to publish its guidance in February 2008 as planned. Further information on this guidance can be found on NICE'S website at:
	www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=byID&o=11676

Tattooing

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to establish a system of registration for tattooing and piercing facilities;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of directions given in respect of reusable needles under the Department of Health's model bye laws issued in September 2007;
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the regulations of  (a) tattooing and piercing under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2003 and  (b) the model bye laws published in September 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, as amended by the Local Government Act 2003, gives local authorities (LAs) powers to require tattooing and cosmetic piercing businesses in their area to register and observe byelaws on hygiene and cleanliness. It is an offence for such a business to trade without being registered with the LA or to breach local byelaws.
	LAs in London generally use the London Local Authorities Act 1991 (private legislation) which provides for a licensing scheme for businesses providing special treatments such as tattooing and cosmetic piercing. It is an offence to trade without being licensed or to breach licence conditions.
	LAs also have general enforcement powers under health and safety at work legislation. This allows LAs to use improvement and prohibition notices, and ultimately prosecute tattooing and piercing businesses, if appropriate. This would include where there are concerns about a practitioner's competency. Under the licensing regime that exists in London, LAs may refuse a licence on grounds relating to a person's competency.
	Information on the local regulation of tattooing and cosmetic piercing businesses by LAs is not collected centrally. However, we keep the legislation under review, taking account, for example, of any feedback from stakeholders such as LAs and their associations.

Transplant Surgery: Kidneys

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for kidney transplant operations in  (a) Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust and  (b) London NHS trusts.

Ann Keen: The average waiting time for a kidney transplant in Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge primary care trusts (PCTs) is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Area  Number in analysis  Median waiting time (days) 
			 Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge PCTs 202 340 
			 London Strategic Health Authority (SHA) 3,593 242 
			  Note: These figures are based on actual kidney transplants. They are all first graft, elective transplants.

York Hospitals NHS Trust: Manpower

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent  (a) medical consultants,  (b) other medical staff,  (c) nurses,  (d) other professional staff,  (e) administrative and clerical staff and  (f) auxiliary staff were employed by York NHS trust, excluding those transferred to Selby and York primary care trust, in each year since 1996-97.

Ann Keen: The information requested has been set out in the following table.
	
		
			  National health service hospital and community health services (HCHS): Medical and Dental staff and non-medical staff within York hospitals NHS trust as at 30 September each specified year 
			   1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 All HCHS staff 3,596 3,660 3,504 3,517 3,732 3,224 2,842 3,111 3,247 3,302 3,519 
			 All Medical and Dental staff 215 261 274 283 281 258 237 294 320 344 370 
			 Medical and Dental consultants 72 102 98 110 109 120 113 119 131 149 155 
			 Other Medical and Dental staff 143 159 176 172 171 138 124 174 189 195 215 
			 Total non-medical staff 3,381 3,399 3,230 3,234 3,451 2,967 2,605 2,817 2,927 2,958 3,149 
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 1,704 1,771 1,667 1,707 1,840 1,476 1,270 1,335 1,393 1,430 1,539 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1,310 1,362 1,235 1,268 1,375 1,132 915 948 990 1,023 1,111 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 394 409 431 438 465 344 355 387 402 407 428 
			 Qualified allied health professions 223 228 246 245 257 154 169 187 195 194 206 
			 Qualified healthcare scientists n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 94 98 105 113 
			 Other qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical (ST and T) 171 181 186 193 208 189 186 106 109 109 109 
			 Support to clinical staff 1,075 1,021 974 945 1,014 936 788 885 908 908 1,009 
			 Support to doctors and nursing staff 976 915 866 832 887 783 605 688 707 696 793 
			 Support to ST and T staff 99 105 108 113 128 153 183 197 201 212 217 
			 NHS infrastructure support 597 602 583 576 591 554 548 597 626 621 600 
			 Central functions 176 166 155 190 208 171 183 196 215 202 184 
			 Hotel, property and estates 331 344 331 290 291 299 286 304 311 320 302 
			 Managers and senior managers 90 92 97 96 92 84 79 97 100 99 114 
			 Other staff or those with unknown classification 5 6 6 7 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 n/a = not applicable  Notes: 1. It is not possible to identify staff that were transferred to Selby and York Primary Care Trust in 2001. 2. Full time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.  Source:  Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census.

York Hospitals NHS Trust: Waiting Lists

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum waiting time for (i) in-patient and (ii) day case admissions was at York hospitals NHS trust in the quarter ending  (a) June 2007,  (b) September 2007 and  (c) December 2007.

Ann Keen: The information requested has been set out in the following table.
	
		
			  In-patient waiting statistics concerning York health services NHS trust; time periods—June 2007 and September 2007 
			   Month ending  Organisation  Case  Median waiting time (weeks)  Timeband the longest waiter is waiting in 
			 2007-08 June 2007 York Health Services NHS Trust Daycase 6.0 19 to <20 weeks 
			 2007-08 June 2007 York Health Services NHS Trust Ordinary 6.5 19 to <20 weeks 
			   
			 2007-08 September 2007 York Health Services NHS Trust Daycase 6.3 19 to <20 weeks 
			 2007-08 September 2007 York Health Services NHS Trust Ordinary 4.8 18 to <19 weeks 
			  Notes: l. The data are reported as a snapshot at a point in time. For this purpose the latest available period within the financial year is used. 2. The figures show the median waiting times for patients still waiting for admission at the end of the period stated. In-patient waiting times are measure from decision to admit by the consultant to admission to hospital. 3. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. This should be taken into account when interpreting the data. 4. Data not available for month ending December 2007  Source:  KH07

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Millennium Development Goals

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made on achieving the targets outlined in the Millennium Development Goals; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 30 January 2008
	DFID's public service agreements are based on the millennium development goals (MDGs). Progress was last reported in DFID's annual report which was presented to Parliament on 15 May 2007. It is available in the Library of the House of Commons and on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/departmental-report/2007/default.asp
	The next up-date of this report will be published in May 2008.
	There has been some progress towards the MDGs. The most recent official data at global level show that there has been good progress in reducing the number of people living in extreme poverty, increasing economic growth, getting more children into school, reducing child deaths and improving women's political and economic participation. Much more needs to be done, however, particularly in maternal mortality, girls' education, HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases, and accelerated improvements will be needed most urgently in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia if the MDGs targets are to be met.
	The 2007 UN millennium development goals report, which can be found at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mdg/default.aspx, gives a comprehensive account of progress to date on each of the goals, including the challenges that remain.

China: Overseas Aid

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much development aid his Department will provide to China in each of the next three years.

Shahid Malik: DFID is currently developing detailed plans for allocating its budget over the three year period 2008-09 to 2010-11 following the outcome of the comprehensive spending review announced in October. Individual country and regional allocations will not be finalised until March 2008.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of freedom of information requests received by his Department have given rise to responses that have been published by his Department.

Shahid Malik: DFID has adopted a selective disclosure policy, whereby we aim to publish only requests likely to be of wider public interest. DFID published 5 per cent. of the 652 requests received between January 2005, when the Act came into force, and September 2007.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) press and  (b) communications officers his Department employed in each year since its establishment.

Shahid Malik: The Department for International Development was established in 1997. The number of press officers in that and each subsequent year are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of press officers 
			 1997 6 
			 1998 6 
			 1999 4 
			 2000 4 
			 2001 5 
			 2002 4 
			 2003 6 
			 2004 7 
			 2005 7 
			 2006 6 
			 2007 6 
			 Now 7 
		
	
	Communication is integral to DFID's work, and many staff in different teams in our UK headquarters and network of overseas offices are involved in communication work. It is not therefore possible to identify all such staff without incurring disproportionate cost.

Developing Countries: Infrastructure

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to promote infrastructure development in the developing world.

Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) promotes infrastructure development in a number of ways. For example, through bilateral country programmes we support road building and maintenance in Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo, rural transport in Vietnam and Ethiopia and rural access between communities in Nepal. DFID also supports a regional programme to advise on transport policy in Africa.
	More widely, sponsorship of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), a multi-donor organisation, by the Government helps harness the finance and expertise of the private sector. In addition, US $20 million has been committed over three years to support the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) which helps co-ordination between donors and African countries through its secretariat in the African Development Bank. Additionally, a range of technical assistance and co-financing funds helps increase the effectiveness of other multi-lateral institutions which lead infrastructure development in developing countries (for example, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank).

Genetics

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the  (a) effectiveness and  (b) reliability of genetic use restriction technologies as a biosafety tool.

Gareth Thomas: There has been no specific assessment commissioned by the Department for International Development (DFID) on the effectiveness and reliability of genetic use restriction technologies as a biosafety tool. However, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has published a review of the various technologies that might be used as biosafety tools for crops. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) also provided advice on the findings of this report. Both the study and the ACRE advice are available on the DEFRA website at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/science/project_data/DocumentLibrary/CB02036/CB02036_3629_FRP.doc
	www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/advice/pdf/acre_advice73.pdf

HIV/AIDS Infection

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on efforts to address HIV/AIDS.

Gillian Merron: DFID Ministers and senior officials have over the last few months held high-level discussions with a wide range of international counterparts, including; G8 colleagues, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Ministers of Health from the International Health Partnership (IHP) countries, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), the Clinton Foundation, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and others.
	Discussions have concentrated on international commitments to HIV and AIDS, including the commitment to universal access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010.

HIV Infection: Children

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that the rights and needs of children affected by AIDS are a priority in the revision of the Government strategy Taking Action, the UK Strategy for Tackling HIV and AIDS in the Developing World; and whether the revised strategy will include the continuation of the commitment to earmarking 10 per cent. of all HIV funding to children affected by AIDS.

Gillian Merron: Building on the submissions we received during the public consultation process last year we are now updating Taking Action, the UK's strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world. The needs and rights of children affected by AIDS will remain a UK priority when it is published later this year.

HIV Infection: Children

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to support national governments to ensure the provision of co-trimoxazole to all HIV-exposed children as a prophylaxis and for the treatment of opportunistic infections.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government are at the forefront of strengthening health systems, including their distribution systems, to improve access to essential drugs such as cotrimoxazole. For example, in Zambia, we are working with the World Bank to help develop a pilot for innovative ways to improve delivery in the public distribution system. It was a DFID-funded trial in Zambia which first showed how cotrimoxazole can reduce mortality in children living with HIV by up to 43 per cent.

HIV Infection: Children

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to support national governments to deliver comprehensive and integrated prevention of mother-to-children HIV/AIDS transmission services, outlined by the G8 summit in June 2007.

Gillian Merron: DFID's financial support to health systems in developing countries is helping to ensure that pregnant women are able to access the ante natal and delivery care services they need to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
	The International Health Partnership, which was launched by the Prime Minister in September 2007, will help ensure that donor resources are better coordinated, that they back strong national health development plans and that they focus on strengthening the health systems that deliver better services.

HIV Infection: Children

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how his Department plans to ensure the development of infant diagnostics for HIV, adaptable to resource-limited settings; and how this will be achieved.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government make substantial financial contributions to both UNITAID (the International Drugs Purchase Facility) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to which the UK is the second largest country funder.
	UNITAID provided $35.9 million in 2006-07 for paediatric treatment and diagnosis. UNICEF is working in several countries in Africa to improve methods of infant diagnosis of HIV, with the result that more infants and small children are being safely and effectively tested and treated.

HIV Infection: Children

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the Government plans to meet the commitment made by G8 leaders at Heiligendamm to contribute substantially to  (a) the estimated US 1.5 billion dollar cost of providing universal coverage of prevention of mother to child transmission programmes,  (b) the US 1.8 billion dollars cost of providing universal access to paediatric treatment by 2010 and  (c) providing care for 10 million orphans and vulnerable children in Africa.

Gillian Merron: The UK is the second largest government donor of AIDS-related assistance. In 2006-07 we provided £481 million to help tackle HIV and AIDS and have a strong track record of translating G8 commitments into action. The UK has called on other G8 countries to play their part in meeting their commitments. The UK Government are in the process of updating our strategy on tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world. The needs and rights of children affected by AIDS will remain a UK priority, and this will be reflected in the update to Taking Action.

HIV Infection: Finance

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department is working with civil society organisations to develop and implement a system to track HIV and AIDS resources to ensure that they reach the communities which are most affected and to monitor the results they achieve.

Gillian Merron: It is crucial that resources reach the communities most affected by HIV and AIDS. UNAIDS collects country data through national AIDS spending assessments (NASA) which track the country response to HIV and AIDS and support the monitoring of resource needs. DFID is supporting NASAs in several countries. DFID also supports national AIDS councils to monitor and evaluate the impact of their national AIDS strategies.

Jordan: Animal Welfare

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make it his policy to offer Jordan assistance with improving animal welfare; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: In line with our aim to get best value from the UK aid programme, DFID prioritises funding where it can make the greatest impact. Jordan is a middle-income country and does not have a bilateral DFID programme. DFID, however, continues to support Jordan through international institutions such as the European Commission, the United Nations and the World Bank. In 2005, we provided £12 million through these organisations to promote good governance, economic growth and poverty reduction in Jordan. In light of this, DFID will not be directly supporting animal welfare programmes in Jordan.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 3 December 2007 about British-based mining companies.

Douglas Alexander: A reply to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire's letter of 3 December 2007 has been issued.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the Minister of State will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 20 December 2007 on fair trade for Africa.

Douglas Alexander: A reply to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire's letter of 20 December 2007 has been issued.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of the multi donor trust funds to Sudan on health service provision in South Sudan.

Gillian Merron: The Multi Donor Trust Fund-South (MDTF-S) and the Government of South Sudan are co-financing a health sector development programme, with total funding of US$225 million over three years, which started in 2005. In addition to regular assessments conducted by the World Bank, DFID commissioned a review on behalf of MDTF donors of both of Sudan's multi-donor trust funds. This review, completed in December 2007, found that the performance of the MDTF-S funded Southern Sudan Umbrella Health Project had improved, after a slow start.
	The review, and the World Bank assessments, show that the specific impact on health service provision includes:
	strengthened pharmaceutical supply systems including the procurement of US$20 million of medicines, one million insecticide-treated bed nets and the rehabilitation of storage facilities;
	training courses held for key health workers;
	US$1 million allocated to each state for the rehabilitation of health infrastructure; and
	strengthened institutional capacity of the public health administration including the establishment of a functioning Executive Board in the Ministry of Health (MOH).
	The MDTF-S is also being used to fund Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health to assist the Ministry of Health with its overall capacity-building, including by training its staff on daily operations and organising its personnel structure.

TREASURY

Adjudicator's Office

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of the Adjudicator's Office was for the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: In 2006-07, the cost of running the Adjudicator's Office was £2,479,033.

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

David Evennett: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths where the underlying cause was alcohol-related were recorded in the London Borough of Bexley in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, 31 January 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths where the underlying cause was alcohol-related were recorded in the London borough of Bexley in each year since 1997, (178670)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in the London borough of Bexley, from 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death, London( 1)  borough of ( 2) Bexley,1997-2006( 3) 
			   Deaths (persons) 
			 1997 16 
			 1998 22 
			 1999 19 
			 2000 25 
			 2001 24 
			 2002 26 
			 2003 27 
			 2004 17 
			 2005 21 
			 2006 22 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards. The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, are shown in the box below. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. Alcohol-related causes of death - International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) Cause of death 
			  Cause of death  ICD-9 code(s) 
			 Alcoholic psychoses 291 
			 Alcohol dependence syndrome 303 
			 Non-dependent abuse of alcohol 305 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 425.5 
			 Alcoholic fatty liver 571 
			 Acute alcoholic hepatitis 571.1 
			 Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver 571.2 
			 Alcoholic liver damage, unspecified 571.3 
			 Chronic hepatitis 571.4 
			 Cirrhosis of liver without mention of alcohol 571.5 
			 Other chronic non-alcoholic liver disease 571.8 
			 Unspecified chronic liver disease without mention of alcohol 571.9 
			 Accidental poisoning by alcohol E860 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 2. Alcohol-related causes of death - International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 142.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. biliary cirrhosis K74 (excl) K74.3-K74.5 
			 Alcoholic induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions data from the child benefit database have been copied to a data disc in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: Transferring data is a core part of everyday HMRC business.
	On 20 November 2007, the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Pointer, the chair of Price Waterhouse Coopers.
	The interim report was published on 17 December 2007 and is available in the Library of the House. The final report is expected in the first half of 2008.

Children

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many dependent children living with  (a) married couples and  (b) single mothers there were in households in the UK in the second quarter of each year from 1997 to 2006.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 January 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your request for how many dependent children living with (a) married couples and (b) single mothers there were in the second quarter of each year in households in the UK from 1997 to 2006. (183624)
	The number of dependent children living in UK households by family type can be estimated using the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Estimates for the second quarter of the requested years are shown in the Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of dependent children in UK households by family type 
			  Thousand 
			  Family type  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Married couples 9,537 — 9,171 — 8,959 8,791 8,721 8,565 8,501 8,387 
			 Female lone parents 2,514 — 2,698 — 2,694 2,813 2,803 2,809 2,812 2,830 
			  Note: Comparable estimates are not currently available for 1998 and 2000.

Conditions of Employment: Parking

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made by his investigation into whether employees' parking spaces should be considered as a benefit in kind for taxation purposes.

Jane Kennedy: Workplace parking is exempt from income tax by virtue of s237 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003. We have no plans to change this.

Construction Industry Scheme

Michael Clapham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many construction companies have been fined for the late returns of their construction industry scheme contractor monthly returns; and how many companies have had warning notices issued for the same breach.

Jane Kennedy: Since the introduction of automatic penalties for late monthly returns in October, the following number of contractors have had penalty notices served on them under the provisions of the construction industry scheme.
	
		
			   Contractors 
			 October 2007 35,919 
			 November 2007 44,921 
			 December 2007 37,618 
		
	
	A breakdown of the number of contractors receiving reminders in each month is not available.

Council Tax: Valuation

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what records the Valuation Office Agency collects on conservatories and their floor-area for the purposes of council tax valuations and revaluations.

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency collects information on the presence, basic structure and size of conservatories.

Customs Officers: Vacancies

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many vacancies for customs officers there are in HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC is not currently recruiting for Customs Officers.

Departmental Public Relations

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many external contracts his Department held with public relations companies in each of the last 10 years; and what the total cost of those contracts was.

Angela Eagle: Expenditure on public relations consultancy is contained within the total external consultancy figures and cannot be separately identified without incurring disproportionate cost.

Energy: Fees and Charges

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with Ofgem on the regulatory response to recent changes in the cost of energy for domestic use; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 23 January,  Official Report, column 2096W.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter of 17 December 2007 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mr. Abdul Rashid.

Jane Kennedy: I have done so.

Migrant Workers

Julian Brazier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the economic contribution of migrants to the UK economy by  (a) economic sector and  (b) age cohort in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: Latest data available from the Office for National Statistics indicate that between the start of the current phase of the economic cycle in 2001 Q3 and mid-2006, migration contributed around 0.5 percentage points per year to growth in the working age population, and therefore towards the trend rate of growth in the economy.
	The Treasury has not made any assessment of the contribution of migrants by economic sector. However, this is discussed in the recent Home Office/DWP submission to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Select Committee report 'The Economic and Fiscal Impact of Immigration'. This is available at:
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm72/7237/7237.pdf

Natural England: Databases

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency has access to Natural England's MAGIC database.

Jane Kennedy: The MAGIC database is freely available to anyone over the internet.

Northern Rock: Nationalisation

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of nationalising Northern Rock.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1207. The cost of taking Northern Rock into public ownership would depend on the approach taken.

Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what monetary value was assigned to  (a) each of the ministerial residences in Admiralty House and  (b) the Government House in Pimlico in the most recent edition of the Government's National Asset Register.

Yvette Cooper: The National Asset Register separately identifies assets above a £1 million de minimis threshold, but the boundary of what constitutes a single asset is determined by the Department that owns the asset. No breakdown of the value of the assets in question by individual residence is available in the National Asset Register.

Passengers: Surveys

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  at which points of entry interviews are conducted as part of the international passenger survey;
	(2)  what percentage of inbound  (a) flights,  (b) ferries,  (c) coaches and  (d) trains arrived at points of entry where the international passenger survey is conducted in the latest period for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 January 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking what percentage of inbound (a) flights, (b) ferries, (c) coaches and (d) trains arrived at points of entry where the international passenger survey is conducted in the latest period for which figures are available (178681), and at which points of entry interviews are conducted (178678).
	The International Passenger Survey (IPS) does not have information relating to the number of inbound flights, ferries, coaches or trains sampled as a proportion of all arrivals. However, the number of passengers passing through ports of entry as a proportion of the total number of passengers by each mode of transport is shown below. It should be noted that coaches are identified via the route they arrive in the UK, either by ferry or by Eurotunnel.
	
		
			  Number of international passengers arriving at ports in the UK by mode of transport, 2006 
			   Total passengers through all ports (thousand)  Total passengers through IPS sampled sites (thousand)  Proportion through IPS sampled sites (percentage) 
			 Airports 86,390 82,823 96 
			 Seaports 11,741 10,091 86 
			 
			 Channel tunnel
			 Eurostar 3,621 3,621 100 
			 Eurotunnel 1,778 1,778 100 
			  Source: CAA, Department for Transport, Eurotunnel, Eurostar 
		
	
	The IPS is carried out at the following points of entry:
	 Airports
	London Heathrow;
	Gatwick;
	Stansted;
	Manchester;
	Edinburgh;
	Glasgow;
	Prestwick;
	Newcastle;
	Liverpool;
	Leeds/Bradford;
	East Midlands;
	Birmingham;
	Luton;
	Bristol;
	Cardiff;
	London City.
	 Sea routes
	Dover-Calais;
	Dover-Dunkirk;
	Portsmouth-Caen;
	Portsmouth-St Malo;
	Portsmouth-Cherbourg;
	Portsmouth-Le Havre;
	Poole-Cherbourg;
	Plymouth-Santander;
	Plymouth-Roscoff;
	Harwich-Hook of Holland;
	Harwich-Esbjerg;
	Newcastle-Stavanger/Haugesund/Bergen;
	Newcastle-Amsterdam;
	Hull-Rotterdam;
	Hull-Zeebrugge;
	Pembroke-Rosslare
	Fishguard-Rosslare;
	Holyhead-Dublin;
	Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire;
	Rosyth-Zeebrugge;
	Southampton-New York QM2.
	 Rail
	Waterloo (up to November 2007);
	St Pancras (from November 2007);
	Ashford;
	Ebbsfleet (from November 2007);
	Cheriton-Coquelles.
	In addition, from April 2008 interviewing will be introduced at Southampton, Bournemouth and Doncaster airports.

Property Information Systems Common Exchange Standard

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Valuation Office Agency's membership of the Property Information Systems Common Exchange Standard cost in the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The VGA's membership of the Property Information System Common Exchange Standard cost £10,000 plus VAT in the most recent year, 2007-08.

Property Information Systems Common Exchange Standard

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use the Valuation Office Agency is planning to make of the Property Information Systems Common Exchange Standard in relation to  (a) the transfer of data on domestic properties and  (b) residential valuations including the automated valuation model.

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency has no plans to make use of electronic standards published by PISCES for  (a) the transfer of data on domestic properties, or  (b) residential valuations including its automated valuation model.

Property Information Systems Common Exchange Standard: Internet

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Property Information Systems Common Exchange Standard XML schema includes provision for the inclusion of the Valuation Office Agency's unique address reference number.

Jane Kennedy: The address component of the PISCES developed XML schema has the provision to hold any unique reference, along with the additional data needed to identify who owns that unique reference. The Valuation Office Agency has been identified as being one of these unique reference owners for addressing within the standards published by PISCES.

Public Bodies: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's most recent edition of its guidance on regularity and propriety in force for public authorities and accounting officers.

Yvette Cooper: The most recent Treasury guidelines on regularity and propriety are contained in 'Managing Public Money', which is available in the Library of the House. The information is also available on HM Treasury's website at:
	http://managingpublicmoney.treasury.gov.uk.

Public Sector: Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government Actuary's Department has completed reviews of or reports into the pension schemes in  (a) the NHS,  (b) the police force,  (c) local government and  (d) the Civil Service in the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: The Government Actuary has completed the following reports on actuarial valuations of the NHS pension schemes in the last five years:
	
		
			  NHS Pension Scheme in  Valuation date  Completion date 
			 England and Wales 31 March 1999 March 2003 
			 Northern Ireland 31 March 1999 October 2004 
			 Scotland 31 March 1999 November 2005 
			 England and Wales 31 March 2004 December 2007 
		
	
	In July 2004, the Government Actuary also completed a report on the actuarial valuation of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (Northern Ireland) as at 31 March 2003.
	Assessments by the Government Actuary's Department of the liabilities of each of the NHS pension schemes and the Principal Civil Service Pensions Scheme (Northern Ireland) are published annually within the schemes' resource accounts; the last such assessments completed were as at 31 March 2007.
	During the last five years the Government Actuary has not completed any actuarial reviews of pension schemes for the police force or local government.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs has designated an official as responsible for data security; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: As the Principal Accounting Officer for HMRC the chairman has ultimate responsibility for data security.
	In addition a senior HMRC Director was appointed as Director of Data Security on 23 November 2007 with responsibility for overseeing all of the department's data security issues.
	A data guardian role has also been created in each HMRC Business Unit to monitor data handling and transfer arrangements in all of HMRC's business areas.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the revenue received from customers telephoning on telephone numbers beginning 08 by HM Revenue and Customs in the last five financial years.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member for Cheltenham to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary on 5 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1183W.
	In addition no revenue has been received by HM Revenue and Customs in respect of customers telephoning their 08 (non-geographic) telephone services in the current financial year.

Revenue and Customs: Welshpool

Lembit �pik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down by subheading the effect on costs of the restructuring of the Welshpool HM Revenue and Customs office; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Welshpool office has not yet been reviewed.
	More generally, HM Revenue and Customs is restructuring all its business operations in order to provide a better service at a lower cost to the taxpayer. Most of its business units can work more efficiently by consolidating in a smaller number of offices. The cost savings, to the Department as a whole, from that increased efficiency, cannot realistically be apportioned to any one office.

Revenue and Customs: Welshpool

Lembit �pik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the staff in the HM Revenue and Customs office in Welshpool to be informed of the future status of and plans for that office; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has too much office space and has been engaged in a review programme to decide which offices best suit its future business needs and should therefore be retained.
	The programme has been paused while HMRC considers how best to take forward the recommendations of the capability review of the Department published in December. When it resumes, all staff will be notified of the revised timetable for their office reviews including consultation.

Stamp Duties

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 906W, on stamp duties, how many homes claimed the tax relief for zero carbon homes from 1 December 2007 to date, according to HM Revenue and Customs records.

Jane Kennedy: Of those transactions for which a stamp duty land tax certificate was issued in December 2007, three transactions claimed the stamp duty land tax relief for new zero-carbon homes. Figures are not yet available for 2008.
	The tax relief will help stimulate the market for new highly efficient technologies in homes, both for the fabric of the building and in the use of microgeneration, and sets a gold standard for green homes.
	We expect the numbers of qualifying transactions to rise as more properties eligible to claim the relief go on the market.
	The Government are committed to conducting an interim review of the relief in 2010 which will examine the effectiveness of the relief in stimulating the innovation necessary to ensure that all new homes are built to a zero-carbon standard from 2016.

Tax Avoidance

Lembit �pik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals were identified as having intentionally failed to comply with tax regulations in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: This information is not available, as HMRC does not currently record information about the intention of those who fail to comply with tax regulations.

Tax Credit Office: Administration

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total annual administrative costs of the Tax Credit Office were for the most recent period for which figures are available; and what proportion of those costs related to  (a) processing claims,  (b) dealing with inquiries and  (c) resolving complaints.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) delivers tax credits through a number of its business units including the Tax Credit Office (TCO). The TCO has a number of roles largely relating to handling awards that cannot be processed automatically by HMRC computer systems. For example, TCO will help bring new claims into payments where customers have provided incomplete information. TCO also handles most written inquiries put to HMRC about tax credits, including complaints and requests for reviews of decisions.
	TCO staffing costs for 2006-07 were around 84.3 million and the staff costs of handling complaints in the TCO in the same period was around 4.5 million. The other information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.
	For information relating to the full costs of delivering tax credits, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 375W.

Tax Relief: Exercise

Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider bringing forward proposals for introducing tax relief on gym membership for the clinically obese.

Jane Kennedy: There are no plans to introduce tax relief on gym membership for the clinically obese.

Taxation: Alcoholic Drinks

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual revenue has been from  (a) duty on alcohol and  (b) VAT on sales of alcohol in the last five reported years; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Excise duty receipts for alcoholic products can be found in the HM Customs and Excise 'Bulletins', for Spirits, Wine, Beer and Cider, which can be found on a HM Customs and Excise website address at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm ?task=bulletins
	The value added tax (VAT) receipts for alcohol products are not available. HM Revenue and Customs do not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services.

Taxation: Construction

Michael Clapham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies in the construction sector have been fined since the introduction of the new construction industry scheme for wrongly stating the employment status of a member of their workforce; and how many workers were given the wrong status by each such company.

Jane Kennedy: Information provided on returns made by contractors under the new construction industry scheme is used to inform employer compliance reviews undertaken by (HMRC). These reviews can include checking the employment status of workers as well as other aspects of the return.
	Employer compliance reviews involve examination of records and fact finding and consequently they can take some time to complete. At present, no instances have arisen where penalties have had to be imposed because of an incorrect declaration of employment status by a contractor.

Unemployment: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many workless households there were in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London Borough of Bexley in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 January 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of workless households in a) Bexleyheath and Crayford Constituency and b) the London Borough of Bexley in each year since 1997. (178669)
	The attached table gives the number of workless working-age households for Bexleyheath and Crayford Constituency and the London Borough of Bexley, for the three months ending in June. Information for Bexleyheath and Crayford Constituency is only available for 1999 and 2001-2007. Information for London Borough of Bexley is only available for 1997, 1999 and 2001-2007. The figures in the table are estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
	A household is defined as a single person, or a group of people living at the same address who have the address as their only main residence and either share one main meal a day or share the living accommodation (or both). A workless working-age household is one that includes at least one person of working age and in which no-one aged 16 or over is in employment.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Number of workless households( 1)  in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and the London borough of Bexley( 2) , April to June 1999 to 2007, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousand 
			   Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency  London borough of Bexley 
			 1997 (3) 7 
			 1998 (3) (3) 
			 1999 4 8 
			 2000 (3) (3) 
			 2001 3 9 
			 2002 3 9 
			 2003 2 6 
			 2004 4 7 
			 2005 2 6 
			 2006 3 10 
			 2007 4 10 
			 (1) A workless household is a household with at least one person of working age (male aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59), and in which no one aged 16 or over is in employment. (2) Figures have not been adjusted to include estimates for households with unknown economic activity. (3) Comparable estimates are not currently available  Note: As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin or uncertainty.  Source: ONS Labour Force Survey

Valuation Office: Press

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to which periodicals  (a) the Valuation Office Agency and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs subscribed in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Business streams, including the Valuation Office Agency, order business periodicals as required in order to keep abreast of developments in their areas of expertise and are responsible for meeting the costs of any appropriate journals and periodicals out of their overall operating budgets.

Valuation Office: Rightmove

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 509W, on Valuation Office: Rightmove, if he will make it his policy not to extend the contract for a further 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: This is an operational decision for the Valuation Office Agency, who should continue to gather, in the most cost-effective way, the data it requires to perform its statutory functions.

Valuation Office: Rightmove

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the data that the Valuation Office Agency collects from Rightmove.co.uk using the market comparable reporting tool include data derived from the Rightmove automated valuation model database.

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency only has access to the information which was freely available to the public while a property was being advertised for sale on the Rightmove web site.

Welfare Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of families were  (a) eligible for and  (b) claiming (i) working tax credit and (ii) child tax credit in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the take-up rate for child and working tax credits in 2004-05, for which latest figures are available, are published in table 1 of the HMRC publication 'Child and Working Tax Credit Take-up rates 2004-05'. This publication is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-take-up.htm.
	Estimates of the numbers of families with tax credits awards are available in the HMRC publication 'Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Annual Awards', for the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06. These publications and provisional estimates for the number of families with tax credit awards, as at selected dates in 2006-07 and 2007-08, are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
	We do not produce statistics separately for child tax credit and working tax credit.

Welfare Tax Credits: Devon

Nick Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in North Devon were in receipt of  (a) child tax credit and  (b) working tax credit in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: Child and Working Tax Credits were introduced in April 2003.
	Estimates of the numbers of families with tax credits awards, by constituency and local authority, based on final family circumstances and incomes, are available in the HMRC publication Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards. Geographical Analysis for the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	HMRC do not produce statistics separately for child tax credit and working tax credit.

Welfare Tax Credits: EU Nationals

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1236W, on welfare tax credits: EU nationals, whether he plans to collect this data in the future; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 210W, to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond).

Welfare Tax Credits: Fraud

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of fraud arising from tax credit claimants claiming to be living alone when living as part of a couple.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 21 January 2008
	 The estimated level of error and fraud by category under tax credits is published in Table 7 of the HMRC publication 'Child and Working Tax Credits Error and fraud statistics 2004-05' which is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-error0405.pdf

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the cost of recovering overpayments of tax credits.

Jane Kennedy: Tax credit overpayments can either be recovered automatically from continuing entitlement or, where entitlement has ended in respect of the overpaid award, HMRC will oversee the direct recovery of tax credits debt.
	The overall cost of recovering overpayments of tax credits is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I refer to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 71W.

Welfare Tax Credits: Telephone Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many calls were handled by the tax credits helpline in each year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: For the period up to April 2006 I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my right hon. Friend the then Paymaster General on 12 September 2005,  Official Report, column 2407W, on 14 March 2006,  Official Report, column 2137W and on 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 188W. The following table shows the number of tax credit helpline calls that were handled between 1 May 2006 and 31 December 2007.
	
		
			   Calls handled (thousand) 
			  2006  
			 May 2,284 
			 June 2,225 
			 July 2,185 
			 August 2,667 
			 September 2,073 
			 October 1,752 
			 November 1,896 
			 December 1,168 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 1,759 
			 February 1,829 
			 March 1,723 
			 April 1,876 
			 May 2,288 
			 June 2,400 
			 July 2,747 
			 August 2,026 
			 September 1,841 
			 October 1,629 
			 November 1,529 
			 December 1,013

Welfare Tax Credits: Telephone Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on advertising the tax credits helpline in each year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: No money has been spent on specifically promoting the tax credits helpline, though the helpline number does appear in advertisements.

Welfare Tax Credits: Telephone Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints about the tax credits helpline were received in each year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: For the period up to April 2006 I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the then Paymaster General on 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 2004W. Between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2007, 2,084 complaints about the tax credits helpline were received by HMRC's customer contact directorate. For the current tax year, April 2007 to date, figures are not yet readily available.

Welfare Tax Credits: Telephone Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what training is given to staff working on the Tax Credits Helpline; and how many full working days of training staff must undertake before handling calls to the Helpline.

Jane Kennedy: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the then Paymaster General on 21 November 2005,  Official Report, column 1576W, regarding the training that is given to Tax Credits Helpline advisers.
	The initial training course for Tax Credits Helpline advisers is 15 working days, after which time advisers would be expected to handle calls. However depending on their individual skills and confidence, trainees might handle some calls before then under close supervision before then. A period of post training support is also provided and on-going call coaching ensures that Helpline adviser's skills and knowledge are developed. In addition, training is delivered across the Tax Credit Helpline service in response to procedural and legislative changes.

Welfare Tax Credits: Telephone Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the training budget is for the Tax Credits Helpline in each year of the 2007 Spending Review period.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available.
	HMRC has a centrally managed budget for human resource and learning activities (which includes training) and does not have separate budgets for each of its contact centre lines of business such as the Tax Credits Helpline.

Welfare Tax Credits: Telephone Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total cost of training staff working on the Tax Credits Helpline in each year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The data requested are not available in the format requested as the information cannot be disaggregated from other costs.